Right-wing nationalists who attacked Labor senator Sam Dastyari face joint legal action from two entertainment companies over the group’s name, Patriot Blue.
Streaming service Stan and Roadshow Productions will launch action against the men, which includes convicted stalker and racial vilifier Neil Erikson, who have set up Facebook groups under the Patriot Blue name.
But Patriot Blue is also the name of a group in the entertainment companies’ upcoming fictional drama series Romper Stomper, based on the 1992 Australian film starring Russell Crowe.
“The group involved have misappropriated the name of the fictional group from the series,” Stan and Roadshow said in a joint statement.
“Stan and Roadshow Productions today instructed law firm Gilbert and Tobin to take appropriate legal action in relation to the infringement of the Patriot Blue trademark, and use of the Stan name on Facebook.”
Iranian-born Senator Dastyari was ambushed at Footscray bar VU on Wednesday night, the group taunting the Senator with “You terrorist. You little monkey”.
Senator Dastyari on Thursday said politics in Australia was heading to a “very, very ugly place” and attacks like the one he was subjected to “makes me feel small, makes me feel horrible, it makes you feel kind of terrible and that’s what they are designed to do”.
He is also considering legal action.
