Fascists from the United Patriots Front rallied in Bendigo on the last weekend of August. The increasing confidence of the fascists is the logical outgrowth of the government racism that was typified by the Australian Border Force’s abortive Operation Fortitude, which was preparing to check visas in Melbourne’s CBD.

The street thugs from the UPF might have the Nazi tattoos, but it’s the uniformed thugs in the ABF who carry out the Nazi-style policies. The UPF planned to spend the weekend terrorising Muslims and people of colour in Bendigo, while the ABF planned the same in Melbourne.

Although we disrupted their plans for Operation Fortitude, the ABF continues its practice of abusing refugees. The official government-led actions – the deportations, the off-shore detention centres, the demonising of asylum seekers who attempt to come to Australia by sea – are not only criminal in themselves. They feed the extremism of the far right.