A 15th person has been charged in connection with the violent attack on Camp Sovereignty in Melbourne in August, an incident that Aboriginal leaders have condemned as a hate crime.
The assault followed a series of anti-immigration rallies across the country. Around 40 men dressed in black — many linked to the National Socialist Network (NSN) and some carrying flagpoles and sticks — allegedly stormed the Indigenous camp on August 31.
Footage captured the men verbally abusing camp members, stomping on the Aboriginal flag, and chanting "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi oi oi" before fleeing as police arrived.
Several people were injured.
On Wednesday, detectives arrested a 35-year-old Berringama man in Albury. He was charged with violent disorder, affray, wilful damage, and committing an indictable offence while on bail. The man appeared in Wodonga Magistrates' Court that afternoon and was bailed to appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on October 8.
Among those already charged is NSN leader Thomas Sewell, who was denied bail last month. He faces 25 charges, including violent disorder, affray, assault by kicking, and discharge of a missile.
Inspector Martin McLean from the North West Metro Region Investigation & Response said he was proud of the Melbourne Crime Investigation Unit detectives, noting they had left "no stone unturned."
"We hope this helps restore a sense of safety to people who regularly attend Camp Sovereignty. It's important the community knows police will continue their efforts to stop crimes like these," he said.
Police previously noted they were unprepared for the attack, with Superintendent Troy Papworth admitting that they "didn't have intelligence to suggest that there was going to be any issues with Camp Sovereignty" before the rallies.
Camp Sovereignty was established in 2006 by Krautungalung Elder Robbie Thorpe and is described as a place of peace where community members can gather, yarn, and reflect. It is also the resting place for the repatriated remains of 38 Aboriginal Victorians.
Both Mr Thorpe and his niece, Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe, have questioned why police failed to monitor the far-right group after the rally.
"When other places of worship have been attacked in the past, the condemnation in the media is widespread," Senator Thorpe told National Indigenous Times last month.
"Just because we don't have bricks and mortar. We have our land, and this is how we worship our land and our water and our people and our animals in the sky, and the air that we breathe. We have a spirituality that you can't always see, and that's certainly what you find at Camp Sovereignty."
In Parliament, Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy described the attack as "hateful violence".
"These kinds of attacks — be they on religious institutions or be they on these culturally significant Aboriginal sites; use hate and violence to divide us. But we will not let them divide us," she said.
Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive Nerita Waight told The Age the attack had sickened Aboriginal people and could amount to serious criminal offences under strengthened anti-vilification laws coming into effect later this month.
"We still expect these actions will be investigated as hate crimes and acts of domestic terrorism," she said.