Bolton, Olsen and the N(e)o Nazi rule

Kerry Bolton

We note with interest that Kerry Bolton (NF Wellington Committee member & former NF National Secretary) stated in free weekly newspaper The Wellingtonian of 24 March 2005 that the NF have “rules all members must adhere to — no Nazi insignia..”

We wonder if what he meant was “Neo-Nazi insignia”? You see, In his previous group The New Zealand Workers Front, Bolton offered flags for sale with a crossed-over hammer and sword. Funnily enough, those flags made an appearance at several NF demos last year, as seen in the following photo taken on the National Front demonstration outside the Chinese Embassy on Queen’s Birthday Weekend 2004.

Hammer and sword flag

Even stranger is the very close similarity of that symbol and that of the Black Front. Who, you may ask? The Black Front was a Nazi organisation in the 1930s who felt that Hitler was too moderate. Here is their logo, taken from the masthead of their newspaper, Der Deutsche Revolution:

Nazi newspaper with hammer and sword logo

Given Bolton’s history of the last three decades running fascist groups and selling Nazi/fascist music, patches, magazines and books, we think the striking similarity of the two graphics above is more than coincidence.

Then there is this cute little graphic that has been used to illustrate at least two NF leaflets, which appear to have been written by Bolton.

Family image used in propaganda

Family image used in homophobic propaganda

The same family graphic was also used by New Force, a group run by Bolton in the early 1980’s.

Family image used in New Force propaganda

“What’s that got to do with anything?” you may ask. Take a look where the picture originated from:

Family image originally from 1933 Nazi election poster

Gosh, a 1930s Nazi electioneering image. Gee, this really does seem to be too much of a coincidence. I mean, what is the likelyhood of Bolton unintentionally using not one, but two 1930s Nazi images? It really does beggar belief.

Read more of the strange life and times of Kerry Bolton by clicking here.

Cale Olsen

You may remember seeing Cale Olsen (NF Central Region representative) assaulting someone in the TV One news piece on the NF’s October 23 rally to “Defend the flag” last year. He later claimed that he had been attacked from behind, a statement that is not backed up by what the TV camera actually filmed. Assault charges against the man arrested for subsequently whacking Cale were dropped as the police accepted he was acting in defence of the person Cale attacked. Cale also starred in this photo here:

National Front members engage in Nazi acts

That’s Cale on the far right. While Kyle claimed he couldn’t see the guys doing the Nazi salutes, I don’t think Cale could do the same as he’s right next to them, as is Annie, who was the NF’s National Womens’ Representative last year.

Now, if the NF have ridded themselves of all neo-Nazis and Nazi sympathisers like they claim, then why is Cale still the Central NZ Representative for the NF? Take this little spat Cale had with Nic Miller on nzpolitics.com:

My thoughts on the matter are,

National Socialism — yes.

Sympathy with the Third Reich — yes

Neo Nazis - Fuck Off.

Now the NF were a bit concerned that Nic Miller was making them look bad by using Nazi graphics in his internet postings. In attempting to tell Nic off, Cale openly declares that he supports the ideology of National Socialism.

Now, National Socialism is Nazism, right? So, if the NF kick out Nazis, then are we to expect Cale Olsen to be given the boot any day now? Don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.

Besides, the NF have declared several times in the last year that they do not accept Nazis as members. They have also declared several times that they have expelled people for being openly Nazi. Yet those kinds of people keep popping up in the NF. Curiously, those people can be blatantly Nazi within NF forums when they think nobody from the outside world is looking; but they only seem to get booted out once they get outed via some form of media. And as the NF constantly refuse to disclose membership lists to journalists to prove their claims of expulsions, how can we really believe them anyway? I mean, Brendon Rimmer is still the NF’s National Youth Representative even though he has posted that infamous photo of himself in the swastika t-shirt on a number of internet forums several times since he joined the NF. And wee Jason M is still in the NF even though he recently put out that photo of himself in the t-shirt emblazoned with a swastika and the slogan “white power”.

In their quest for 500 members (and $10,000 from the Electoral Commission), the National Front appears to be hesitant indeed about expelling even the most blatant Nazis from it’s ranks. Perhaps this has something to do with a number of their leadership body breaking the NF’s own rules against Nazism?

Robert Trigan · 7 May 2005 · Discussion