To crack down on extremist right-wing groups, the government of Australia has declared that it will implement a national ban on Nazi insignia.
Using the swastika or other symbols of the SS in public will result in a sentence of up to one year in prison. The Nazi salute, however, will not be punishable under the new laws.
The federal government has clarified that the display of Nazi symbol will not be tolerated. Such characters are already illegal in several states.
This move comes when there has been a recent uptick in activity on the far right.
Neo-Nazis attended a demonstration in Melbourne in March that was sponsored by Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, who is well-known for her opposition to transgender rights. During their appearance, the neo-Nazis did Nazi salutes on the steps of the Victorian Parliament.
Ms Keen-Minshull claimed that she had any affiliation with the organization, yet, the event sparked a political backlash that included calls for further measures to combat the public exhibition of Nazi regalia.
“We will no longer allow people to profit from the display and sale of items which celebrate the Nazis,” he continued. “We will not allow any person to profit from items which celebrate the Nazis.”
According to Mr Dreyfus, the prohibition encompasses the commercial sale and public display of flags, armbands, T-shirts, and insignia, as well as the dissemination of symbols online that promote Nazi philosophy.
However, public displays of the Nazi swastika or SS emblems for academia, education, the arts, literature, journalism, or science will be permitted.
The Nazi salute is expressly excluded from the Act, and its enforcement will be delegated to the relevant state authorities instead. At the beginning of 2023 year, states of Victoria and Queensland enacted prohibitions.
Due to the spiritual significance of the swastika, the ban was also carefully crafted to exclude the exhibition of the swastika in circumstances that are considered to be religious.
The swastika of the Nazis is an adaptation of an ancient hooked cross design, which is revered as a holy emblem in Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
The move was regarded as a “profound moment that represents the culmination of a six-year personal campaign” by Dvir Abramovich, the chairman of Australia’s Anti-Defamation Commission.
According to what Mr Abramovich told, the recent appearance of neo-Nazis on the streets of Australia transported Holocaust survivors “back to their darkest days.”
It creates a chasm in the centre of their being. It’s hard to believe that they have foreseen the rise of neo-Nazism during their lifetimes. I don’t think they could have envisioned it.
Even while there is no “silver bullet” to deal with “hardcore bigots,” Mr Abramovich believes the new rules are a start in the right direction.
“What is needed is a good approach that considers the whole society to tear it at its root,” he added.
Before current events in Melbourne, local media had previously claimed that neo-Nazis had infiltrated anti-lockdown protests that took place during the Covid-19 outbreak to promote their ideology and recruit members.
“We have seen a rise in people drawn to this ideology for reasons we don’t fully understand,” stated the Director General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Mike Burgess.
