Victoria passes legislation banning public displays of Nazi salute, symbols

Legislation to ban the Nazi salute and symbols passed through the Victorian parliament on Tuesday.

Laws banning the display of the Nazi salute and symbols are set to take effect in Victoria later this week after legislation cleared state parliament.

The display of the Nazi salute and symbols is set to be unlawful across Victoria from the end of this week after legislation passed state parliament.

The Summary Offences Amendment (Nazi Salute Prohibition) Act 2023 cleared the Legislative Council on Tuesday night, ready to be given royal assent.

Premier Jacinta Allan on Wednesday said the government would work with Governor Margaret Gardner to see the law is enacted "as quickly as possible".

"Whilst I'm pleased to see that the laws passed through the parliament late yesterday evening, it is incredibly disappointing that we need these laws," Ms Allan said.

"But it also demonstrates that Victoria is a place where this sort of hateful behaviour, the use of symbols and signs and gestures like this, have no place here.

"And that's why we've moved as quickly as we can to bring these laws into effect."

Under the legislation, "the public display or performance of Nazi gestures" is an offence, as is the "public display of Nazi symbols".

Offenders face fines of $23,000 or 12 month's imprisonment, or both.

The bill was first put to parliament in August after numerous public displays of the Nazi salute across Victoria in recent times, including outside state parliament.

"This is a commitment we made six months ago in response to some really concerning behaviour that Victorians don't want to see," Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said.

"We want to ensure that police have the additional tools to be able to respond to this behaviour."

Asked how cops will enforce the new law, the Premier said that was a matter for Victoria Police.

"How police use the laws that are passed by the parliament is very much an operational matter for Victoria Police," Ms Allan said.

"I will leave it to them to talk about how they will deploy that now that the law has been passed through the parliament.

"But again it's another step that we are taking to send a very, very clear message that this sort of hateful, anti-semitic behaviour has absolutely no place in Victoria."

Police will have the power to direct a person to remove a Nazi symbol or gesture from public display, as well as make arrests and lay charges.

Exemptions apply for "genuine academic, artistic, educational or scientific" purposes such as performing the Nazi salute as part of a theatre performance.

By Bryant Hevesi

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/legislation-banning-public-displays-of-nazi-salute-symbols-passes-victorian-parliament/news-story/68fae01e91bc46a9c7e30cb398e0db87