The shooting in Australia puts the spotlight on the “sovereign citizen” movement

Sydney (Australia).- The shooting that occurred last week in South Australia, in which two police officers died and a third was injured, has once again put the focus on the movement of the so-called “sovereign citizens”, after it was revealed that the alleged shooter sympathized with this ideology that rejects the legitimacy of the State and its laws. Dezi Freeman has been on the run since Tuesday, when he allegedly opened fire on a group of ten officers executing a search warrant for sex crimes on his property. Two officers died in the shooting, who have been identified as Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart, while a third officer was injured and is recovering in the hospital after undergoing surgery.

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The authorities, who are analyzing “a large amount of new information” this Tuesday, believe that the individual would be heavily armed and has the knowledge to survive in the wild for long periods of time. So far, no terrorist links have been established with the incident, but it is known that Freeman identifies as a “sovereign citizen,” whose followers reject the legitimacy of governments and the law, and who in Australia has been linked to several violent episodes in recent years. The term is used to describe people who declare themselves independent of governmental authority, claiming to be “free” individuals not subject to common rules. This is a movement that originated in the United States in the seventies and eighties, initially linked to far-right and anti-government groups, which proliferated with the rise of conspiracy theories and distrust of institutions. In the last two decades, it has expanded to other English-speaking countries, including Australia, where it has gained followers through internet forums, social networks, and rural communities.

This movement had already been linked to violent actions in the Australian country, after in December 2022 three people identified as “sovereign citizens” murdered two police officers and a neighbor in an ambush in Queensland (east of the country), in one of the most violent episodes attributed to this group in the country.

The attack, perpetrated by a couple and their brother on a rural property, led to an armed confrontation with special forces that ended with the death of the three aggressors. The case shocked public opinion and led the authorities to reinforce surveillance of sympathizers of this ideology in Australia. Furthermore, some of its members have been involved in confrontations with the authorities at road checks and protests, especially during the pandemic. Although their supporters represent a minority, Australian authorities maintain that their frontal rejection of institutions and their connection to conspiracy theories raise the risk of violent episodes, such as the one last week.