South African Neo-Nazi Kicked out of Australia Allegedly Attacks Journalist
- South African engineer Matthew Gruter, who was expelled from Australia for participating in an antisemitic rally, has returned to South Africa
- Upon his arrival at OR Tambo Airport, Gruter reportedly provoked outrage with his confrontational behaviour towards journalists and photographers
- Social media users criticised his actions, accusing him of portraying himself as a victim despite having connections to extremist ideologies
Source: Twitter
JOHANNESBURG - A South African man, who was expelled from Australia due to neo-nazi sentiments, returned to the country on December 4, 2025. Matthew Gruter had his visa cancelled after attending an antisemitic rally.
Upon arrival at OR Tambo International Airport, Gruter allegedly reacted with visible agitation when approached by the media. In a clip that has since gone viral, he was seen confronting a black journalist, leading to the journalist’s equipment falling to the floor. Gruter then exchanged heated words with another photographer, questioning:
“Are you trying to get us attacked? Are you trying to get us killed in South Africa? Is that what you want to do, label us?"
Gruter then stormed off with a companion, shouting at the photographers not to photograph their child.
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Who is Matthew Gruter, and what happened in Australia?
Matthew Gruter is a civil engineer whose work permit was revoked after he participated in an antisemitic rally outside the New South Wales Parliament in Sydney. Reports indicate that approximately 60 men from the National Socialist Network, dressed in black, carried a banner that read “Abolish the Jewish Lobby” and participated in the demonstration.
This network is a neo-Nazi group that was established in 2020, and Australian news reports have noted a rise in right-wing extremism in the country. Gruter was detained in the early hours of November 11 while awaiting expulsion from Australia. However, the media was not allowed to document his detention until later.
Source: Getty Images
Social media reacts to Gruter’s combative attitude at OR Tambo International Airport
@LeboMKeswacommented:
“You don’t get to cosplay victim after aligning yourself with violent extremist ideology. Actions have consequences. Attacking a Black journalist for doing his job while crying ‘fear’ after proven links to violence is hypocrisy of the highest order!!!”
@BiancavanWyk16 said:
“He looks like he can be fun at parties.”
@DigitalDeviceX stated:
“I must learn how to be a professional victim like these guys. So impressive how they make it look like they did nothing wrong.”
@OJKombe said:
"He must go to America. He’ll be right at home there."
@donnovan commented:
"Good thing they cancelled his visa…if i was the wife, I would pack and leave him."
2 Briefly News article related to South Africans who have emigrated to Australia
Previously, Briefly News reported on the light-hearted side of the Gruter story when a South African TikTok user jokingly appealed to the Trump administration to take Gruter in. Many South Africans on social media agreed, saying they would rather he be sent to the United States than return home. In the video, the woman, identifying herself as a white South African, asks whether the US can “pick him up directly from Australia” before he makes his way back to South Africa.
In other reports, a South African couple who have been living in Western Sydney for six years are fighting to stay in Australia after being told they have 35 days to leave the country. The couple, who arrived in 2018 on visitor visas, stated that Australia has become their home and returning to South Africa would feel like “a death sentence”.
They shared that they experienced violence from a young age, including the shooting of one of their parents. Their initial application for protection visas was denied, and they are currently awaiting the outcome of their appeal.
Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
