Sovereign Citizen Ideology at Center of Pawpunka Manhunt, Expert Warns of Wider Risks
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Police are in their third day of a manhunt in rural Victoria as concerns mount that Australia’s sovereign citizen movement could be providing inspiration — and possibly support — to the suspect at the center of the Pawpunka standoff.
Dr. Josh Roose, an extremism expert at Deakin University who has been consulting the government on the unfolding case, told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing that sovereign citizen ideology is “an incredibly violent” anti-government movement with a deep hostility toward police and state institutions.
“Sovereign citizen ideology is incredibly complex,” Roose said. “They believe that the government is an illegitimate corporation that enslaves people. At its heart, it’s an incredibly violent ideology. There’s a deep hatred of the state and its institutions, in particular the police.”
A Growing Threat
Authorities have warned the public not to assist the man now evading capture in Porepunkah, but Roose said the suspect may draw support from a significant pool of sympathizers.
“The sovereign citizen movement in Australia at its top end, if you’re counting movements like My Place, counts in the tens of thousands, particularly online,” he said. “If you’re talking about hardened sovereign citizens, people who live on the outskirts and are highly ideologically active, then you’re probably talking about several thousands around Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.”
Roose added that while police have cautioned against harboring the fugitive, “there are likely people who are not only supportive of this individual but have drawn inspiration from him.”
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Risk of Copycat Acts
The Porepunkah case has raised fears of copycat violence, echoing patterns seen in other extremist movements.
“When there are attacks, when other incidents occur, other people were drawn to them,” Roose said. “We’ve seen that in many cases of copycat terrorism, like Christchurch terrorist Brenton Tarrant, where young men in particular internationally have drawn inspiration and sought to replicate elements of that attack.”
Roose said the sovereign citizen movement, which originated in the United States, has long displayed violent tendencies against police. He warned that a volatile mix of rising polarization and economic inequality is fueling its local appeal.
“We’re talking about increased polarization, more people being attracted to these movements and things like this weekend’s march coming up that they may or may not be a part of,” Roose said. “Often in that context, there is an increased propensity and chance of violence.”
Police Response
Asked whether Australian authorities are prepared to handle such encounters, Roose urged caution in frontline policing.
“At a tactical level, police have to protect themselves first and foremost and conduct robust risk assessments before they go and engage with anyone, particularly on their properties,” he said. “Often you don’t know who you’re dealing with until they open their mouth and it becomes evident pretty quickly.”
He added that heavy-handed policing at public rallies may not be the best strategy, stressing that deeper social drivers must also be addressed.
“We have to look at what’s happening in regions,” Roose said. “This is a symptom of a much larger issue, which is rapidly deepening economic inequalities, people who are feeling increasingly desperate and being drawn into this world where the sovereign citizen narrative could even be remotely appealing.”
Broader Concerns
Roose said older Australians, in particular, have been pulled into the movement, drawn by promises of empowerment and freedom from government and financial constraint.
“To them, it offers a form of empowerment and being freed from government and financial constraint,” he said. “And so that’s the reason, in many cases, that older Australians are being drawn into it.”
The Porepunkah manhunt remains ongoing, with authorities urging the public not to intervene. Police have not confirmed whether the suspect has received outside assistance, but counterterrorism experts warn the case highlights the dangers posed by sovereign citizen extremism in Australia.
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