A driver associated with the sovereign citizen movement recently caused a stir on the streets of Perth after using an illegal fake number plate on their Toyota Hilux.
A passerby took a photo of the vehicle, which had several odd features, including a coat of arms on the back and a number plate that read “private” in white letters on a black backdrop.
The plate was bordered by the phrase “Commonwealth of Australia,” and there was a spelling error with “non-commercial” incorrectly spelled as “non-commerial.”
The sovereign citizen movement is known for refusing to recognize the Australian government and spreading misinformation about COVID-19.
The group also falsely claims that political parties are “franchises” of the United Nations.
The number plate directed people to the Commonwealth Custodian’s website, an alt-right group that shares similar views to the sovereign citizen’s movement.
The vehicle was ultimately impounded for having fake number plates. Social media users criticized the owner of the car, with one person joking that they were “not willing to pay tax but willing to drive on taxpayer-funded roads.”
Another commenter was surprised by the prevalence of alt-right beliefs in Perth, saying, “I live in the US, and I’ve seen more crazy alt-right stuff in Perth than in the state I live in! It’s mind-boggling.”