Thomas Sewell, a prominent neo-Nazi leader, was arrested outside a Melbourne court on Tuesday following an attack on an Indigenous sacred site. The incident occurred on Sunday when Sewell and his supporters charged at Camp Sovereignty, a significant Indigenous burial and vigil site located in Southbank. This attack took place after they broke away from an anti-immigration rally in the central business district.

On Tuesday afternoon, police arrested Sewell and two of his supporters outside the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court. Approximately 25 police officers and protective services personnel were present at the scene. The arrests were confirmed by police as being related to the assault on Camp Sovereignty.

Tensions escalated in the courtroom earlier that day when two unidentified men confronted Sewell and his supporters. The verbal exchange became heated and required intervention from about a dozen police officers to restore order.

Before the arrests, Sewell disrupted a press conference held by Premier Jacinta Allan and Treasurer Jaclyn Symes. He heckled Allan, shouting, "Heil, Australia," as he made his way to the court.

Sewell, who leads the National Socialist Network, was in court for a three-day hearing regarding unrelated charges. He faces accusations of intimidating a police officer and violating two personal intervention orders last year. The court heard that he allegedly intimidated the officer in November 2024 and breached the intervention orders by posting material about the officer and a family member on the streaming platform Rumble.

Additionally, Sewell is charged with soliciting another individual to publish content about the protected individuals online and sharing a video of one of the alleged victims on social media in 2024. He is also facing earlier charges related to intimidating the law enforcement officer and their family member in October 2023.