University of Sydney students accost man distributing antisemitic material as identical flyers crop up on campuses in Melbourne and Canberra

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Students at the University of Sydney filmed and confronted a man distributing leaflets that support British Holocaust denier David Irving amid reports of a wave of antisemitic activity on Australian university campuses.

Identical leaflets, which call the Holocaust “demonstrably false”, were discovered last week on campuses, including the University of Melbourne, Monash University and the Australian National University. The matters have been referred to police but the identity of the distributors have not been confirmed.

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“Once one person saw the Holocaust denial material that he was posting, other students joined in to express their outrage loud and clear,” said Eleanor Morley, a student who was present at the scene.

In the video, filmed on Wednesday, a man in a blue shirt can be seen pinning flyers on noticeboards before being confronted by students.



“You’re asking did the Holocaust really happen? Do you not believe 6 million Jewish people were exterminated by the Nazis?” asks a student.

“The problem with you is that you just believe the TV and the cinema,” he replies.

“This is antisemitic bullshit,” says one student, while others chant “neo-Nazis off our campus”.

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Organised by a group called Chemtrails Geelong, the leaflets direct readers to an online article that challenges the portrayal of Irving in the film Denial, which dramatises the author’s libel trial against historian Deborah Lipstadt in 2000.



The article contests the existence of gas chambers at Auschwitz, while other articles on the site accuse Geelong local council of “promoting homosexuality” in the young adult section of the local library.

“This is not the first far-right, racist or outright Nazi material seen on the campus this year,” said Morley.

“Trump’s victory in the US emboldened the far right everywhere, including on Australian campuses. At Sydney University the purveyors of Nazi-esque posters usually do their dirty work in the dead of night when no one is around. Perhaps the recent electoral success of the French fascist Marine Le Pen emboldened this guy to come out in the daytime.”

The notice posted across campuses claims “key elements of the official version [of the Holocaust] are demonstrably false and want revision ... a Hollywood film just released in Australia would have us believe that a court case in 2000 proved the official version of the Holocaust. Did it really?”

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The Australasian Union of Jewish Students released a statement on Wednesday condemning the leaflets.

“AUJS is appalled that Holocaust denial leaflets continue to be distributed on university campuses. Now is a time to raise awareness and ensure the memories of 6 million Jewish and other victims at the hands of the Nazi regime will never be forgotten so humanity can never let this happen again.

“For their memories to be denied is a deep insult on the dignity of Jewish students on campus.”

A University of Sydney spokesperson said they were aware of the incident and were investigating.

“The materials were removed as soon as we became aware of them,” they said. “The university has codes of conduct and any student, staff or affiliate who breaches an applicable code of conduct may be subject to action and the matter if appropriate may be referred to the police.”