Guildford’s The Stirling Arms Hotel issues apology after unknowingly booking neo-nazi function

A family-friendly pub in Perth’s eastern suburbs shut down a neo-nazi function after white supremacists hired out a room at their venue, leaving a customer “deeply disturbed”. In a post on social media on Saturday night, the Stirling Arms Hotel in Guildford said it was “truly sorry for any hurt or offence” caused after management became aware members and supporters of the Nationalist Socialist Network were holding an event inside the pub. The group hosted the event to discuss their plans to form a political party named White Australia. The NSN announced the event last month and said in an email seen by The West Australian that speeches would be given on “a variety of topics including our upcoming political party project and AEC (Australian Electoral Commission) registration, other projects that are underway, our movement in general, and our worldview”. The Stirling Arms said it had no prior knowledge of what the group was representing before it booked at the venue. “Unfortunately an event was booked at the venue tonight for a political group that the venue does not align with, nor did we have prior knowledge of what they were representing,” the venue said in the statement. “Shortly after becoming aware of what the event represented, all content was removed from within the venue, the event cancelled and the guests were asked to leave. “The event and the group do not represent the values of The Stirling Arms. “We are a community based pub that welcomes all. We are truly sorry for any hurt or offence this may have caused. “Love, the Stirling arms.” The West Australian understands members of the NSN required an RSVP for all attendees wanting to attend the event on Saturday night. Members of the neo-nazi group were worried people would find out where they booked their event and required all attendees to meet them in a carpark before they were told of the function’s location. An email, signed off by WA chapter leader Hagen Palme, addressed to attendees said “a team of senior members of our organisation will be there to meet you and say hello”. “We thank you for your understanding on these necessary precautions, to ensure that we don’t post the final venue list either publicly or via email, but instead give it in person to those who are attending,” the email said. “The safety and enjoyment of our supporters is our number one priority, and you can be assured that there will be no issues.” A photo taken from outside the function room obtained by The West shows a projected image which reads “White Australia” and features the NSN emblem. The group said they had booked to have a self-serve buffet and had lined up “a handful of 10-minute speeches presentations, with dinner at 7:00pm, with ample time for socialising and networking between the speeches”. “We ask that all single attendees contribute a $50 cash donation to our organisation at the door upon entry,” it said. “This is to help cover the cost of the venue hire as well as dinner. (Wives / partners and children do not have to pay.)” Customers of the venue overwhelming backed the decision to shut the event down when responding to the pub’s apology. “Anyone who knows what you guys do and continue to do around the local community know that you’re genuine in being a great addition to the community. Hats off to the response,” Steve Abbott said on Facebook. “Thanks for this. I was deeply disturbed,” another person said. The September email to supporters said forming a political group would “afford” the NSN “more legal protections such as having protected political speech, and allow us to not be charged under the new overbearing hate speech legislation in Victoria and New South Wales”. “This will allow us to continue to advocate for a White Australia without accruing charges. There are many other benefits as well such as being able to advertise differently, fund-raise, and contest elections,” it said.