Australia has banned the Nazi salute and public display of any symbols associated with terror groups.
In response to increasing incidents of anti-semitism following Israel’s assault on Gaza, Australia passed the legislation on Monday and it comes into effect immediately.
Engaging in public display of the Nazi salute, showcasing the Nazi swastika, or exhibiting the double-sig rune linked to the Schutzstaffel (SS) paramilitary group is deemed a criminal offence under the law, carrying a potential penalty of up to 12 months in prison , local reports said.
In November, when Australia was planning on implementing the ban, executive council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said: “The amended bill has many positive features which will be welcome news to the Australian Jewish community, especially with the extraordinary increases we have seen recently in the level of antisemitism from different quarters.”
On Monday, attorney general Mark Dreyfus said in a statement: “This is the first legislation of its kind and will ensure no one in Australia will be allowed to glorify or profit from acts and symbols that celebrate the Nazis and their evil ideology.”
The newly enacted law also prohibits the public display or trade in symbols associated with banned terrorist organisations such as the Islamic State, Hamas, or the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
However, exceptions are made for academic, educational, or artistic purposes.
Last year in March, a gathering of neo-Nazis made an appearance at a rally in Melbourne organised by Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, a known advocate against transgender rights. They openly performed Nazi salutes on the steps of the Victorian Parliament. Despite Ms Keen-Minshull denying any affiliation with the group, the incident sparked a political outcry, prompting calls for intensified measures to address the public display of Nazi regalia.
Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission told Sydney Morning Herald in November: “This bill will deliver a blow to those inflamed with vicious antisemitism who have weaponised this evil gesture as a rallying cry to terrorise the community.”
