It makes Victoria the second state, after Tasmania, to ban the Nazi salute, while several states have already outlawed public displays of swastikas. Jewish leaders have applauded the Victorian government’s banning of Nazi salutes in public, after milestone legislation was passed in State Parliament on Tuesday. The bill is set for royal assent on Friday after passing in the Legislative Council, with moves to expedite it into law to urgently clamp down on extremist groups harassing members of Melbourne’s public, as happened yet again – on a metro train – last Saturday. It makes Victoria the second state, after Tasmania, to ban such gestures. Several states have already outlawed public displays of swastikas. Under the new laws, strongly promoted by Deputy Liberal leader and Caulfield MP David Southwick and by former premier Daniel Andrews, anyone who displays or performs a Nazi symbol or gesture in public will face penalties of up to $23,000, 12 months’ imprisonment or both. Speaking to a motion condemning the Hamas attacks, Premier Jacinta Allan told Parliament on Tuesday, “We do not want to waste one single day in making the Nazi salute ban the law of our state.” She said that since the Hamas onslaught, there has been an upswing in antisemitic incidents in public. “What has transpired in the past days has been shocking, and we know that there will be many more challenging days and weeks to come.” State Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said the bill “was scheduled to receive royal assent on Tuesday. However, we’ve worked with the Governor to secure her agreement to fast-track this and it will be completed this week.” Jewish community leaders were uplifted by the passing of the landmark laws. Jewish Community Council of Victoria president Daniel Aghion was emphatic: “In the wake of offensive recent displays by neo-Nazis in Melbourne, we are pleased the Victorian Parliament has quickly passed these new laws banning Nazi salutes and additional Nazi symbols. “The next step we want to see is Victoria Police using these new laws to send a strong message that there is no place for Nazi supporters in Melbourne.”
via australianjewishnews: Victoria bans Nazi salute
siehe auch: Giving the Nazi salute has become a crime in the Australian state of Victoria The state Australians of Vitória approved a bill to ban the Nazi salute, which provides heavy fines and prison sentences of up to a year, a response to the increase in anti-Semitic attacks in the country. “I wish we didn’t have to implement these new laws, but We will always do whatever it takes to fight hatred, anti-Semitism and racism“, declared, on Tuesday night, the head of the Government of the state of Vitória, Jacinta Allan, in a message on the social network X (previously Twitter). The law goes into effect on weekends and imposes a maximum penalty of 12 months imprisonment and a fine of A$23,000 (13,842 euros), or both sentences combined, according to the website of the state Parliament.