Patrick O'Sullivan heads a white supremacist group in Melbourne

[Tina Greco - Melbourne]

On thin white ice

Maria Bervanakis

30Jan08

GROUP LEADER: Patrick O'Sullivan heads a white supremacist group in Melbourne. Picture: ROBERT MCKECHNIE.


A WHITE supremacist group continues to operate in Melbourne's inner-city, despite apparent breaches of the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act.

Video: Watch an interview with Patrick O'Sullivan.
(Leader warns some readers may be offended by the content of the interview. Leader does not endorse the views of The Creativity Movement.)

The Creativity Movement promotes itself as ``the most Anti-Christian Church in the World'' and its supporters post stickers across town reading, ``White Power! White People Awake, Save the White Race.''

The group's Australian leader, Patrick O'Sullivan who refers to himself as a Reverend argues it is their right to do so.
``We have a right to congregate our religion; if people don't like it, tough luck,'' he said. ``There is nothing wrong with promoting the white race. Nobody is forcing no one to join it, so I am not apologetic.''

Mr O'Sullivan refused to provide details on the group's headquarters, saying only that it met at different venues in the inner-city and had a Collingwood PO box.

He would not disclose how many members the group has.

``We do not give out numbers. It's open to a degree, but we just don't give out numbers,'' he said.
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission chief executive Dr Helen Szoke said the commission could act against the group only if it received a complaint. Nobody has made a complaint to the commission to date.

``The Racial and Religious Tolerance Act has been passed to actually deal with inciting hatred. I can't comment specifically about the Creativity Movement, but as a general rule displaying racist or anti-religious comments or behaviour that can be considered of inciting hatred is the sort of behaviour actually captured by the legislation,'' she said.

The legislation allows the commission to pursue the removal of prejudice material and seek compensation on behalf of complaintants.

Yarra Council pursued the group under the state's bill-posting laws after receiving a complaint about the group's racist stickers in a Clifton Hill park (Leader, October 31, 2007).

Mayor Judy Morton said the group received a warning this time, but the council would take the group to the commission if it received more complaints.

``We do not support groups or individuals that are intolerant of other cultures and religions,'' Ms Morton said. ``If there are any reoccurrences of this group's material appearing in public places, council would be interested in lodging a formal complaint with the commission.

``I encourage residents to do the same if they are offended by the action of any group.''
The Racial and Religious Tolerance Act states a person must not, on the ground of the race, class or religion of another person ``engage in conduct that incites hatred against, serious contempt for, or revulsion or severe ridicule of, that other person or class of persons.