From Bunnings Karen to Dezi Freeman, what makes a 'sovereign' citizen? |
We shouldn't really call them sovereign citizens. It's a phoney name for people who think they are above the law. They take up time in the courts and they waste public money.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Login or signup to continue reading
Let's call it what it is. Pseudolaw.
This week, Des Filby, 56, was shot dead after a stakeout by Victoria Police Special Operations Group members on a remote property in Thologolong, near Walwa on the Victoria-NSW border. Filby, also known as Dezi Freeman, had been on the run for seven months after killing two police, Neal Thompson and Vadim De Waart-Hottart, near the regional town of Porepunkah. His actions devastated the community and threw tourism and business into upheaval. I mean, who could chill with a deranged murderer on the loose.
Why were the police after Filby in the first place? They had planned to execute a warrant against him, relating to a sexual offence against a child under the age of 16 years. No wonder Filby, who adopted the sovereign citizen pseudonym of Freeman, didn't like the cops.
I asked Harry Hobbs, associate professor in law at UNSW why we were beset by this plague. He and his co-author, Stephen Young, explain it all in Outlawed: Responding to the global rise of sovereign citizens and legal conspiracies, out in August.
He says we don't know the numbers of those dabbling in this bullshit but we do know this: it's always people who have had a personal crisis, who've had a structural shock. These lead to feelings of marginalisation and alienation. And does the sovereign citizen movement ever save them?
No. Not once. He's looked at 32 countries globally.
"It has never worked in any court anywhere around the world," says Hobbs.
People explore these ideas as a way to get out of a practical problem, says Hobbs. "They might get a rates notice or a traffic infringement and they type into Google, 'how do I avoid paying my tax?'."
Then Hobbs says when they discover it doesn't work, they drop it and move on with their lives. Unlike Filby, who kept going and going.
So why are people still trying it on? "You have someone who is dealing with a problem and they are feeling animated and intimidated by ordinary government, legal and political systems.
"And then, someone says to them, if you pay me x amount of dollars, I will give you the solution and you will feel empowered and feel like you have a role to play ... you'll have the secret knowledge that gives you all you need to know and gives you the secret trick basically to right your life and make this ok."
Turns out people make money from innocents. These are online influencers and gurus, found on any platform, ready to exploit the vulnerable.
Hobbs also believes that during what we might feel are "end times" (you know, like the North Atlantic financial crisis, the pandemic, the renewed Gulf war, any major disruption of civil society) people look for some kind of instant answer in a bid to make sense of the chaos around them.
And they do it in the weirdest way possible. They think of themselves as one person up against the entire wicked corporate world. Mostly it's just pointless chat. Living off grid. Keeping out of everyone's way.
"But there are some who will take it a step further, particularly when they fear their livelihood or their families are being threatened and they may act out in violent ways, as we've seen in this case," says Hobbs.
And our problem is that it's taking up quite a bit of time in our courts. Now, it turns out, that some of those using sovereign citizen ideology are pretending not to be sovereign citizens because they get it's got "negative connotations". At the same time, their insanity is clogging up the system.
I'd never heard of a sovereign citizen until early in the pandemic. Talk about structural shock. Our entire lives were upended.
And then, I met one virtually in the aisles of Bunnings. Yep, Kerry Nash. We all called her Bunnings Karen. And all of Australia knew her. It was July 2020. Cam Smith, a relentless researcher of the far right, posted a video of Kerry Nash fronting up at a Bunnings in Victoria to have a fight about wearing a mask. The woman enters the Narre Warren premises and is approached by a calm employee who asks her if she has a mask. She replies: "It's clear I don't and you are not authorised to ask me or question me about it."
Dear God. Remember masks. They were one really useful barrier between you and COVID. Protected you from those tiny aerosol droplets others were sneezing and coughing out of their mouths. Anyhow Bunnings Karen wasn't having any of the compulsory mask wearing. She told staff that being asked to wear a mask is an unlawful condition of entry. They turned her and her utter bullshit away. As a nation, we always love Bunnings staff (especially the ones who dress up as elves at Christmas. Haven't yet seen one in bunny ears). This time our devotion was manifest across the nation.
So how do we stop the spread? That's a very good question and one to which we know the answer. We not only need governments to work for all of us but for people to get that we are communities not individuals. Get out more. Get off the internet (says she who spends way too much time on the internet). Join your local Landcare group, Knitting Nannas, bowls, whatever,
"Strengthen communities so people don't feel alienated and marginalised in their own lives," says Hobbs.
Jenna Price is a regular columnist.
Murderer who killed mother could be out of jail sooner
From Bunnings Karen to Dezi Freeman, what makes a 'sovereign' citizen?
'Excessive': cops get longer to defend protester's case
First tickets for Western Sydney to New Zealand flights go on sale
Bondi terror accused can't shield family after threats
Charli XCX, Summersault to star at Sydney Film Festival
Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update.
Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation.
Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening.
Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters.
The latest news, results & expert analysis.
Love footy? We've got all the action covered.
Going out or staying in? Find out what's on.
Real local, smart property news for regional Australia
Stay in the know on news that matters to you with twice weekly newsletters from The Senior.
Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe.
Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more.
Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday.
Voice of Real Australia
Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over.
Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarGuide, ACM's exclusive motoring partner.
Be the first to know when news breaks.
Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am!
Your favourite puzzles
Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!
Get the very best journalism from The Examiner by signing up to our special reports.