Matthew Gruter: South African neo-Nazi deported from Australia after antisemitic protest
Matthew Gruter arrived in South Africa with his wife and child.
Image: Timothy Bernard/ Independent Newspapers
SOUTH AFRICAN national and self-proclaimed neo-Nazi Matthew Gruter landed at OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday after being deported by the Australian government for his involvement in an anti-semitic protest.
Gruter, a civil engineer who had been living in Sydney since immigrating in 2022, arrived in Johannesburg with his wife and their one-month-old baby. Upon arrival, he attempted to conceal his face with luggage but became visibly agitated when approached by members of the media. In viral footage, he was seen exchanging heated words with a photographer and nearly engaging in a physical altercation.
“Are you trying to get us attacked and murdered in South Africa? Is that what you are trying to do, trying to label us?” he asked.
Pressed for comment on his deportation, Gruter expressed frustration, claiming he was unfairly targeted.
“I got detained for six hours and had my visa cancelled by the minister himself ... I just stood there over some nonsense. What do you think, do you think it's fair?” he said.
Gruter had participated in a neo-Nazi demonstration outside the New South Wales Parliament, where members of the group calling themselves “White Australia, formerly the National Socialist Network” stood in formation dressed in black, holding a banner that read “Abolish the Jewish Lobby.”
Reports indicate that around 60 individuals, including Gruter, were accused of chanting slogans associated with the Hitler Youth.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke defended the decision to revoke Gruter’s visa, drawing a clear line between citizens and foreign nationals.
“If you are on a visa, you are a guest; if you're a citizen, you're a full member of the Australian family. Like with any household, if a guest turns up to show hatred and wreck the household, they can be told it's time to go home,” Burke stated.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns also condemned the protest, calling it a blatant display of hate.
“No one who lives in Sydney should have to put up with that kind of hate speech on the steps of the People's House.”
“It's obviously shameful that these people feel that they have the right to demonstrate in such a despicable, hateful way, spewing division and racism on the streets of Sydney,” Minns added.
Gruter’s removal has sparked debate, with some questioning the boundaries of free speech and the responsibilities of visa holders.
For now, his return to South Africa marks the end of his controversial stay in Australia, but the conversation around extremism and immigration continues.