Nazis try to dupe unemployed

September 30, 1992
Issue 

Nazis try to dupe unemployed

By Paul Oboohov

SYDNEY — The fascist threat made a daring public appearance last week in Campsie, when an organisation calling itself the Unemployed Peoples Union held a function in this suburb with a vibrantly diverse ethnicity and high rates of unemployment.

The principals of this harmless enough sounding "Unemployed Peoples Union" turn out to belong to, or have close links with, a neo-nazi organisation known as the National Socialist Defence of Aryan People's Movement.

Unemployment activists who have uncovered this link have received death threats over the phone, telling them not to expose the UPU as a front of the NSDAPM. (One NSDAPM member was recently charged with assaulting a young Jewish person who contested their anti-Semitic filth.)

A picket outside the bogus "UPU" event in Campsie warned unemployed people that nazi elements lurked within. Cars and trucks hooted in support as members of genuine unemployed groups and left organisations handed leaflets to passers-by.

Inside, the chairperson opened by suggesting that "despite differences about colour, creed and politics, we'll suppress that for now". The panel of speakers identified themselves as Liberals. The forum apparently had the theme of the impact of Liberal policies on the unemployed, with a focus on organising to beseech employers to take on more workers.

According to a "UPU" leaflet, refreshments at the event were provided by Arnotts, Cadbury and Pepsi, and support also came from K-Mart, Toyota and Blue Haven Pools.

In a leaflet, the NSW Coalition of Unemployed Unions asked:

"... why have large multi-national companies ... decided to sponsor this political forum on unemployment at this time? Is there, in fact, as we suspect an alliance being developed here by conservative political forces and major corporations which aims to use the unemployed as a political weapon?"

The coalition can be contacted on (042) 67 4054.

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