Latest news with #Roose
Sydney Morning Herald
09-08-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Unmask them now': Police powers questioned as neo-Nazis flex their muscles
'I thank police who maintained the public order. It's clear they need more powers, and we're giving it to them,' she said. Loading 'We're not afraid of these goons – but we won't tolerate them either.' In footage posted to social media of the CBD march, police vehicles can be seen gathering at the corner of Bourke and Swanston streets in front of the group, before reversing out of the way of the march and allowing the neo-Nazis to proceed east along Bourke Street. A 26-year-old man confronted the group and was allegedly assaulted. The man, of no fixed address, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A number of police vehicles followed the neo-Nazis as they walked to Flagstaff Gardens, before they were dispersed about 1.25am. When asked why the protest was allowed to proceed, a spokeswoman for Victoria Police said officers were 'quick to respond to ensure public order was maintained'. 'No arrests were made throughout the protest and police had a strong presence to maintain community safety and to prevent any breach of the peace,' the spokeswoman said. 'Victoria Police respects the right to protest; however, there is absolutely no place for antisemitic, racist or hate-based behaviour in our society and police will not tolerate such activity.' Deakin University Associate Professor Joshua Roose, an expert in right-wing extremists, said there was limited action available to police to disperse the group, in the absence of banning face coverings or requiring protest permits. He said the group's choice to rally late at night is a deliberate tactic, timed for when police resources are stretched thin. 'The group would be attempting to use this march to gain publicity for their national meeting today, build this sense of a movement, and inflate their numbers,' Roose said, adding they likely included members from across the country. 'They have these snap rallies where they will show up unexpectedly in a location, often in the dead of night and then attempt to use that for online propaganda and any residual media coverage. 'In this case, they revel in being able to march through Melbourne without being arrested or intercepted by police.' He said that while protest permits would not be needed in an ideal democracy, the 'highly polarised political environment' means the government should consider them. Members of the NSN gathered before midday at a property outside a town north-west of Melbourne ahead of the group's 'national conference'. Organisers have claimed up to 250 people are attending the conference, which they said was due to run until Monday. Wearing black attire, those involved with the group stood at the end of a country laneway next to a caravan park, using binoculars and a drone to watch police and media gathered on a main road nearby. One shirtless man, wearing a jumper adorned with a picture of Adolf Hitler tied around his waist, walked down the lane towards police alongside two other people. He used a walkie-talkie before returning to the bigger group further down the road. A journalist and photographer, who remained inside their vehicle, were allegedly assaulted by members of the network in the lead-up to the meeting. Police said the man and woman, who sustained minor injuries, were able to leave the area and report the matter to nearby police. Opposition police spokesman David Southwick claimed Victoria had become the 'hate state' with extremists free to march through the city and police unable to stop them. 'To see last night – police pretty much having to chaperone the protesters because they can't arrest them – what's that about?' Southwick said the government needed to urgently introduce a protest permit system, as well as bolster police's move-on powers. Loading 'These extremists are gutless cowards. They cover their faces, hide their identities. The government promised laws to ensure that people can't cover their faces at protests. Where are those laws now?' he said. Legal activist groups have disputed claims that police need more powers, arguing the issue is being used as an excuse to expand police authority. Anthony Kelly from Melbourne Activist Legal Support, a group which regularly attends protests as a legal observer, said police already had the powers they needed to shut down neo-Nazi gatherings. 'The actions and banners are highly provocative and by themselves form a breach of the peace,' he said. 'The police can act on these if they have sufficient resources for mass arrests and attention to the issue. But in the past they have failed to focus on these actors as a problem, so they have been able to operate with a degree of impunity.' Victoria's new police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush last month ruled out pushing for protest permits, saying they have failed to be a game-changer in jurisdictions such as NSW, where they were introduced to curb violence and hate speech by neo-Nazi groups and some pro-Palestine groups. 'We've had a look at it and it's not something we're going to drive towards,' Bush said. 'We've had a look at other jurisdictions that do that, and it's not the game-breaker.' Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the scenes of intimidation had no place in Victoria, accusing the government of allowing hateful behaviour to thrive. 'The actions of alleged neo-Nazis is not unexpected when you have a government that is afraid to take a stand against weekly racist protests in Melbourne,' he said in a statement. 'Protesters are now travelling from interstate to join these hateful rallies.' Saturday morning's CBD march was led by white supremacist leader Thomas Sewell, and members of the group hoisted banners stating 'White man fight back' and flew the Australian and National Socialist Network flags. Sewell was found guilty of attacking a Channel Nine security guard outside the network's headquarters in March 2021. He was also jailed for 37 days after pleading guilty to a separate attack on three bushwalkers who filmed his group at the Cathedral Ranges National Park at Taggerty in May 2021. After the firebombing of the Adass Israel synagogue in Ripponlea in December, the Victorian government announced new laws which would stop people from wearing balaclavas at protests to stamp out hateful behaviour.
Daily Record
30-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Chef boiled to death in horrifying two hour execution so brutal it was outlawed
Richard Roose was executed by being boiled alive in 1531 after he was accused of poisoning dinner party guests - with the horrific method of death later outlawed A sumptuous dinner party in Lambeth, south London, in 1531 ended in horror as guests became violently ill, leading to one of history's most harrowing executions – being boiled alive. The cook, Richard Roose, fell under suspicion for the illness after allegedly lacing the food with a mysterious powder. He was condemned by King Henry VIII for the act of poisoning and sentenced to an unprecedented and gruesome death. Roose's final moments were marked by a chilling first in British penal history as he became the inaugural victim to be publicly boiled alive. Contemporary records indicate that Roose was fastened to a gibbet, akin to a gallows, before being plunged repeatedly into a scalding cauldron. Witnesses reported that he "roared mighty loud" and endured two hours of torment before succumbing. The method of execution by boiling was intentionally designed to inflict a prolonged and excruciating demise through severe burns, reports the Daily Star. Although heat burns destroy skin cells, it is often the subsequent shock from extensive injuries that proves fatal. This state of shock, characterised by inadequate oxygen supply to the body, can be lethal. According to the NHS, signs of shock include a pallid complexion, clammy skin, an accelerated heartbeat, rapid and shallow breathing, and loss of consciousness. Severe burns can lead to soft tissue shrinkage causing skin tears and reduced fat and muscle volume. Additionally, the intense heat from burns may cause muscles to contract involuntarily, which can result in flexed joints. Recent research has shown that extreme heat damage can precipitate respiratory failure through direct injury to the airways, which can be fatal. Indeed, respiratory failure is one of the leading causes of death among burn victims, especially those with inhalation injuries. History recounts how Richard Roose suffered severe blistering due to burns, but it's not documented whether his cauldron contained water, oil, or wax. Other historical accounts describe a gruesome practice where victims were placed into cool liquids, which were then heated to boiling point as a form of execution. This prolonged and brutal method was intended to delay the body entering into shock, thus maximising the pain experienced. In a YouTube video detailing this story, viewers shared their dismay at the barbaric punishment, with one commenting on the "worst execution." Another viewer said: "It's hard to fathom the brutality these people inflicted on one another. We are the cruellest of all living species." Yet another added: "Even if guilty this punishment is beyond evil." This method of execution was so brutal that it was later outlawed by Edward VI in 1547. However, accidental deaths by boiling can still occur today. For instance, in 2016, a 23 year old tragically died and was dissolved after falling into a hot spring at Yellowstone National Park in the US. When his body was found, the water was reportedly at a boiling point of 100°C (212°F). The World Health Organisation reports that an estimated 180,000 deaths annually are due to burn injuries. In 2019, two Russians were boiled alive in a sink hole when they failed to swerve their vehicle last minute - plunging into scalding water.
Irish Daily Mirror
30-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Chef boiled to death in two-hour agony branded 'worst execution ever'
A dinner party in Lambeth, south London, in 1531, turned into the backdrop for what might just be one of history's most chilling executions - death by being boiled alive. The soiree took a sinister turn when guests started to suffer from severe sickness. The finger was pointed at the cook, Richard Roose, who was suspected of lacing the food with a mysterious substance. King Henry VIII handed down a death sentence to Roose for his alleged role in the poisoning. His end would go down in the annals as he became the first person in Britain to meet his maker through the ghastly method of being boiled alive in public. Although the finer points of the execution are scarce, historical records indicate that Roose was fastened to a gibbet, akin to a gallows, and then plunged repeatedly into a scalding cauldron. Witnesses claimed he "roared mighty loud" and succumbed after a torturous two-hour ordeal. The method of boiling someone to death was crafted to be a drawn-out, excruciating affair, ensuring maximum torment from the burns inflicted, reports the Daily Star. Burns from heat occur when skin cells are destroyed, but it's believed that it's not the burns themselves that are fatal, rather the body's shock response to grave injuries. Thermal injuries arise when skin or other tissues' cells are obliterated. Similarly, the state of shock, a perilous condition triggered by inadequate oxygen supply to the body, is what ultimately poses a mortal threat. The NHS warns that classic indicators of going into shock include sporting a ghostly complexion, skin that's cold and damp to the touch, racing pulse, shallow and quick breathing, or even passing out. Severe burns are no minor affair; they can lead to soft tissue contraction which may cause the skin to rip apart, accompanied by a reduction in the fat and muscles. Particularly with burn injuries, expect muscle contractions to potentially result in joint stiffness. Current research alerts to the risk of respiratory failure following intense heat exposure, attacking the airways and potentially leading to fatal outcomes. For those who have suffered from burns, particularly with inhalation trauma, respiratory failure is a leading cause of mortality. Perusing through historical annals, it's recorded that Richard Roose bore severe blistering caused by burns, yet it remains a mystery whether his scathing was due to water, oil, or wax within the cauldron. Previous historical accounts of gruesome executions record the chilling fact that victims might have been initially plunged into tepid liquid, which would gradually boil – prolonging the onset of shock to heighten the agony. On YouTube, a video recounting such a grisly tale has left viewers appalled, stating their repulsion at such a barbaric penalty, one commenting it's the "worst execution." Another viewer said: "It's hard to fathom the brutality these people inflicted on one another. We are the cruellest of all living species." Meanwhile, a third person added: "Even if guilty this punishment is beyond evil." This method of execution was so savage that it was subsequently banned by Edward VI in 1547. However, accidental deaths due to boiling can still happen in the present day. For example, in 2016, a tragic incident occurred when a 23 year old lost his life and was dissolved after falling into a hot spring at Yellowstone National Park in the US. When his body was discovered, the water was reportedly at a boiling temperature of 100°C (212°F). According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 180,000 deaths each year are attributed to burn injuries. In 2019, two Russians met a horrific end when they were boiled alive in a sinkhole after failing to swerve their vehicle at the last moment, plunging into blistering water.
The Age
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Neo-Nazis' Anzac Day taunts unlikely to breach hate-speech law, experts say
'Welcome to Country is an important part of official ceremonies, and it should be respected, and I don't agree with the booing,' Dutton said on Friday. 'We have a proud Indigenous heritage in this country, and we should be proud to celebrate it as part of today.' Victoria Police confirmed a 26-year-old Kensington man was interviewed and released after the incident, and that he was expected to be charged on summons with offensive behaviour. Last year, Hersant became the first person in Victoria to be convicted for performing the Nazi salute. The summary offence carries a fine or jail term of two months, or up to six months for repeat offenders. Dr Josh Roose, a Deakin University associate professor who studies political violence, could not say whether Friday's disruption would be captured under the new laws, but said there was a case it should be. 'If you're booing an Indigenous ceremony, one that's based on healing and cohesion, then there's a case you're undermining that and vilifying on the basis of race,' Roose said. Aunty Joy Murphy, a Wurundjeri elder who has long performed the Welcome to Country at Melbourne events, said the hecklers at the shrine would not deter her. 'It'd take more than that for me not to do the welcome,' she said. 'It makes me want to hold my head up higher than ever. We know what it's like to be insulted, and we have to stand strong and be brave. We're proud to be who we are.' Aunty Joy said the ceremony was particularly important on Anzac Day to recognise Indigenous soldiers like her father, Jarlo Wandoon, who fought for Australia. She was supposed to perform the Welcome to Country ceremony at Friday night's Melbourne Storm-Sydney Rabbitohs Anzac Day NRL clash at AAMI Park, but says the Storm cancelled the ceremony at the last minute, leaving Indigenous groups dumbfounded and distressed. Performances from the Maori Ngā Mātai Pūrua and Djirri Djirri, a Wurundjeri female dance group, were planned too. But as other Indigenous performers rehearsed on the field, Aunty Joy was told the club's board no longer wanted her to conduct the Welcome to Country. The two other First Nations groups refused to continue their performances as a result. She said no explanation was given to the Indigenous groups for the club's initial cancellation, other than Storm chief executive Justin Rodski telling them it was a board decision. She said the Storm then reversed its position, apologised and asked her to continue with her ceremony, but she refused. 'We would dearly love to be out there, but they've broken our hearts,' Aunty Joy said. In a statement, Melbourne Storm said: 'There was a miscommunication of expectations regarding the use Welcome to Country at Melbourne Storm events throughout the year. We acknowledge and accept the timing and miscommunication was not ideal and we have spoken to the groups concerned this afternoon.' Roose said Friday's Shrine of Remembrance intrusion was clearly planned and had been foreshadowed online. He said there was a broader pattern of the National Socialist Network challenging each new law designed to thwart them, but that bills had so far been well-drafted and had withstood legal challenges. 'Obviously, to some extent, it's hard to be anything other than reactive to that. However, when they want to forecast this and attempt to disrupt one of Australia's most important days, you could argue there's a case for more pre-emptive policing. It's just a matter of whether the laws will allow it.' Loading Roose said the state could create anti-association laws specifically for them and ban them from wearing masks, while the Commonwealth could consider proscribing the National Socialist Network as a terror organisation. 'I'm not advocating those positions. I'm saying that there are a number of much tougher measures available.' There is currently a bill before state parliament cracking down on masks at protests, which has separately angered civil rights groups. While the local neo-Nazi groups have not been prohibited or slapped with non-association orders, some individual members have been ordered not to associate with fellow members as part of bail conditions for alleged offences. Investigations by this masthead and other outlets have uncovered links between local neo-Nazis and designated terror organisations such as The Base and Combat 18, as well as bikies and prison gangs. Anti-fascist researcher Dr Kaz Ross did not think Friday's behaviour met the threshold to be considered a crime under the state's anti-vilification laws, but said she was sometimes surprised the neo-Nazis weren't charged with low-level crimes such as offensive behaviour or obscene language more often. 'There's a lot of tools there for police to use,' Ross said. 'I'm not seeing the existing laws being used very effectively at all.' She said the group built solidarity by committing low-level offences but avoided meeting the bar to attract more serious law enforcement, despite being what she called 'an incubator for terrorism' by raising the temperature. Ross said that meant magistrates had to rule on the low-level offences brought before them, rather than the full picture of extremist ideologies. Neo-Nazis have been documented recruiting aggressively among young men and boys in Australia. The Human Rights Law Centre said the government should find ways to address hate other than through criminal law. 'Laws on their own will not address racism. These incidents should propel all governments to invest in community-led prevention, and programs aimed at addressing the root causes of hate and disrupting the way these groups organise and recruit,' the centre's legal director, Sarah Schwartz, said in a statement. Victorian shadow attorney-general Michael O'Brien said the premier needed to explain why the stronger criminal sanctions were yet to become law since the strengthened anti-vilification laws passed. 'The only beneficiaries of this delay are neo-Nazis and their fellow travellers who want to cause maximum distress. Police and the [director of public prosecutions] are powerless because Labor has failed to act. Whether this is incompetence or negligence, it simply isn't good enough.' The opposition voted against the expanded laws, because of a dispute over the legal test applied to civil cases. Loading The directors of Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation said First Nations people had a long history of service and sacrifice for this country, and thanked allies for their support on Friday. 'We commend Uncle Mark Brown for his strength and determination,' they said in a statement. 'The actions of a few this morning are abhorrent and do not deserve to take away any more from [the day].' RSL Victoria President Robert Webster condemned the behaviour and said the crowd's support for the speakers far outweighed the small minority of hecklers. 'The actions of a handful were completely disrespectful to the Aboriginal community, veterans, and the spirit of Anzac Day. In response, the spontaneous applause from the 50,000-strong crowd attending the service drowned out those who disrupted, and showed the respect befitting of the occasion,' he said in a statement. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan condemned the disruption as hateful and appalling. 'To pierce the sombre silence of the dawn service is more than disrespect – it dishonours all who have served, fought and fallen,' she said.
Sydney Morning Herald
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Neo-Nazis' Anzac Day taunts unlikely to breach hate-speech law, experts say
'Welcome to Country is an important part of official ceremonies, and it should be respected, and I don't agree with the booing,' Dutton said on Friday. 'We have a proud Indigenous heritage in this country, and we should be proud to celebrate it as part of today.' Victoria Police confirmed a 26-year-old Kensington man was interviewed and released after the incident, and that he was expected to be charged on summons with offensive behaviour. Last year, Hersant became the first person in Victoria to be convicted for performing the Nazi salute. The summary offence carries a fine or jail term of two months, or up to six months for repeat offenders. Dr Josh Roose, a Deakin University associate professor who studies political violence, could not say whether Friday's disruption would be captured under the new laws, but said there was a case it should be. 'If you're booing an Indigenous ceremony, one that's based on healing and cohesion, then there's a case you're undermining that and vilifying on the basis of race,' Roose said. Aunty Joy Murphy, a Wurundjeri elder who has long performed the Welcome to Country at Melbourne events, said the hecklers at the shrine would not deter her. 'It'd take more than that for me not to do the welcome,' she said. 'It makes me want to hold my head up higher than ever. We know what it's like to be insulted, and we have to stand strong and be brave. We're proud to be who we are.' Aunty Joy said the ceremony was particularly important on Anzac Day to recognise Indigenous soldiers like her father, Jarlo Wandoon, who fought for Australia. She was supposed to perform the Welcome to Country ceremony at Friday night's Melbourne Storm-Sydney Rabbitohs Anzac Day NRL clash at AAMI Park, but says the Storm cancelled the ceremony at the last minute, leaving Indigenous groups dumbfounded and distressed. Performances from the Maori Ngā Mātai Pūrua and Djirri Djirri, a Wurundjeri female dance group, were planned too. But as other Indigenous performers rehearsed on the field, Aunty Joy was told the club's board no longer wanted her to conduct the Welcome to Country. The two other First Nations groups refused to continue their performances as a result. She said no explanation was given to the Indigenous groups for the club's initial cancellation, other than Storm chief executive Justin Rodski telling them it was a board decision. She said the Storm then reversed its position, apologised and asked her to continue with her ceremony, but she refused. 'We would dearly love to be out there, but they've broken our hearts,' Aunty Joy said. In a statement, Melbourne Storm said: 'There was a miscommunication of expectations regarding the use Welcome to Country at Melbourne Storm events throughout the year. We acknowledge and accept the timing and miscommunication was not ideal and we have spoken to the groups concerned this afternoon.' Roose said Friday's Shrine of Remembrance intrusion was clearly planned and had been foreshadowed online. He said there was a broader pattern of the National Socialist Network challenging each new law designed to thwart them, but that bills had so far been well-drafted and had withstood legal challenges. 'Obviously, to some extent, it's hard to be anything other than reactive to that. However, when they want to forecast this and attempt to disrupt one of Australia's most important days, you could argue there's a case for more pre-emptive policing. It's just a matter of whether the laws will allow it.' Loading Roose said the state could create anti-association laws specifically for them and ban them from wearing masks, while the Commonwealth could consider proscribing the National Socialist Network as a terror organisation. 'I'm not advocating those positions. I'm saying that there are a number of much tougher measures available.' There is currently a bill before state parliament cracking down on masks at protests, which has separately angered civil rights groups. While the local neo-Nazi groups have not been prohibited or slapped with non-association orders, some individual members have been ordered not to associate with fellow members as part of bail conditions for alleged offences. Investigations by this masthead and other outlets have uncovered links between local neo-Nazis and designated terror organisations such as The Base and Combat 18, as well as bikies and prison gangs. Anti-fascist researcher Dr Kaz Ross did not think Friday's behaviour met the threshold to be considered a crime under the state's anti-vilification laws, but said she was sometimes surprised the neo-Nazis weren't charged with low-level crimes such as offensive behaviour or obscene language more often. 'There's a lot of tools there for police to use,' Ross said. 'I'm not seeing the existing laws being used very effectively at all.' She said the group built solidarity by committing low-level offences but avoided meeting the bar to attract more serious law enforcement, despite being what she called 'an incubator for terrorism' by raising the temperature. Ross said that meant magistrates had to rule on the low-level offences brought before them, rather than the full picture of extremist ideologies. Neo-Nazis have been documented recruiting aggressively among young men and boys in Australia. The Human Rights Law Centre said the government should find ways to address hate other than through criminal law. 'Laws on their own will not address racism. These incidents should propel all governments to invest in community-led prevention, and programs aimed at addressing the root causes of hate and disrupting the way these groups organise and recruit,' the centre's legal director, Sarah Schwartz, said in a statement. Victorian shadow attorney-general Michael O'Brien said the premier needed to explain why the stronger criminal sanctions were yet to become law since the strengthened anti-vilification laws passed. 'The only beneficiaries of this delay are neo-Nazis and their fellow travellers who want to cause maximum distress. Police and the [director of public prosecutions] are powerless because Labor has failed to act. Whether this is incompetence or negligence, it simply isn't good enough.' The opposition voted against the expanded laws, because of a dispute over the legal test applied to civil cases. Loading The directors of Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation said First Nations people had a long history of service and sacrifice for this country, and thanked allies for their support on Friday. 'We commend Uncle Mark Brown for his strength and determination,' they said in a statement. 'The actions of a few this morning are abhorrent and do not deserve to take away any more from [the day].' RSL Victoria President Robert Webster condemned the behaviour and said the crowd's support for the speakers far outweighed the small minority of hecklers. 'The actions of a handful were completely disrespectful to the Aboriginal community, veterans, and the spirit of Anzac Day. In response, the spontaneous applause from the 50,000-strong crowd attending the service drowned out those who disrupted, and showed the respect befitting of the occasion,' he said in a statement. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan condemned the disruption as hateful and appalling. 'To pierce the sombre silence of the dawn service is more than disrespect – it dishonours all who have served, fought and fallen,' she said.
