Nathan Bull, 23, has been charged with violent disorder and affray after footage showed members of a far‑right group storming Camp Sovereignty, an Indigenous encampment at Melbourne's Kings Domain, police and court documents show.
Bull, described in court and police material as a close associate of National Socialist Network (NSN) leader Thomas Sewell, was filmed wearing a mouthguard alongside Sewell as members of the group clashed with occupiers of the site, which is sacred to Aboriginal people and lies near the Shrine of Remembrance. Police allege the NSN members trampled an Aboriginal flag and that occupiers were punched, kicked and struck with a pole.
About 30 men wearing black are alleged to have entered Camp Sovereignty after an anti‑immigration rally held under the March for Australia banner. Sewell has been charged with 25 offences related to the confrontation, including violent disorder, affray, assault and discharging a missile, according to court submissions. Bull was granted police bail on Tuesday night and is due to appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court over the Camp Sovereignty charges on Dec. 10.
Victoria Police officers told the court that Sewell exercised "complete control" over NSN members, including Bull, and that those followers would act on his instructions. Detective Senior Constable Saer Pascoe said the organisation had "a documented history of hate crimes and acting with violence" and that Sewell had recently incited violence. Magistrate Donna Bakos denied Sewell bail, finding there was a risk he would endanger community safety if released.
Bull's family released a statement to media saying they had disowned him. "From the very beginning, we made it clear that if he chose this path, we could no longer be an active part of his life. Sadly, that is the decision he made," the statement said. The family also disputed what it called "misinformation and incorrect assumptions" about them and cited an earlier photograph shared by Bull's father from the son's 21st birthday as evidence of a previous relationship that had since broken down.
The 23‑year‑old from Mooroolbark, about 40 kilometres east of Melbourne, has been photographed at several high‑profile far‑right events and in images performing Nazi salutes outside public institutions. He bears a vegvísir tattoo, an Icelandic symbol that has been adopted by some neo‑Nazi groups internationally. Video from the Kings Domain confrontation appears to show Bull kicking at a man near a campfire while another NSN member holds a megaphone marked with runic symbols associated with Nazism.
Bull has faced previous legal action related to far‑right demonstrations. He was arrested with other NSN members after an Australia Day march in Adelaide and charged with carrying an article of disguise; the charge was later withdrawn. He has also faced a separate charge of behaving in an offensive manner for allegedly booing during a Welcome to Country at the Shrine of Remembrance on Anzac Day.
In earlier court appearances Bull at times represented himself and questioned the authority of magistrates to impose bail conditions. He told a magistrate he could not attend a hearing in South Australia because he had no employment and could not afford travel. Prosecutors and police have previously raised concerns to court about the NSN's pattern of conduct at demonstrations and the potential for violence.
Sewell, who has courted media attention and publicly interrupted politicians, including Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, has claimed self‑defence in relation to the Kings Domain incident. Images and footage filed in court, however, show aggressive conduct by members of the group and an apparently defensive posture by some Camp Sovereignty occupiers. The encampment was established by supporters of the Black GST movement, which campaigns to end what it describes as ongoing genocide, to assert Indigenous sovereignty and to press for treaties with Indigenous Australians.
Victoria Police said investigations into the Kings Domain disturbance remain ongoing. Bull's upcoming court appearance will address the charges arising from the confrontation; Sewell remains remanded after his bail was refused on public safety grounds.