Arguing with police and spouting anti-government rhetoric, conspiracy theorists calling themselves ‘sovereign citizens’ are flooding social media in Australia. 

While their rants about the law may at first seem nothing more than a nuisance, those closely following their activity are warning their behaviour is dangerous.

In one clip, police were forced to break open a car window to arrest a ‘sovereign citizen’ for allegedly refusing to cooperate with police when pulled over for a breath test.

Another was caught driving through Gundagai without registration plates on display.

“Jane” runs Cooker Watch, a Twitter page that curates content revealing the concerning thoughts and behaviour of the ‘sovereign citizens’.

“There’s a whole underbelly of activity that’s been going on on Telegram and it’s just gotten worse, and worse and worse as the years have gone by,” she told Sofie Formica.

“All I see is that it’s dangerous because these people feel they’re above the law, they don’t have to answer to anyone.”

Jane said they’re often called ‘cookers’ because “[it] means that someone’s brain’s cooked or they’re cooking conspiracy theories”.

Press PLAY below to hear Jane explain why the groups tend to be a money-making scam

Former magistrate and the Dean of Law at Southern Cross University David Heilpern told Sofie Formica the group’s understanding of the law is “complete gobbledygook”.

“What they are saying is so illogical and so un-legal,” he said. “I’ve researched every one of the cases they say they’ve succeeded in and it’s just not true.

“They have never succeeded in any Australian court with their silly ‘sovereign citizen’, ‘I’m completely separate from the rest of Australia’.

“It’s all just a frenzy of legal garbage.”

Press PLAY below to hear David Heilpern explain why cookers’ arguments just don’t work