As part of its fresh approach to counter-terrorism, Australia recently implemented federal legislation that criminalises the public display or sale of symbols linked to Nazism and terrorist groups. Effective from the beginning of this week, the legislation encompasses the Nazi salute and public display of Nazi symbols such as the Nazi double sig rune, or “Schutzstaggel”, and the Nazi “Hakenkreuz”. Violation of these laws could result in a sentence of up to 12 months in prison. The legislature has, however, provisioned exemptions for educational, academic and sacred religious uses of these symbols. APh’s outline of the legislation provides deeper insights on these provisions.
This is also significant as it makes unlawful the sale and trade of goods bearing these prohibited symbols. As Attorney General Mark Dreyfus expressed in his recent statement, “no one in Australia will be allowed to glorify or profit from acts and symbols that celebrate the Nazis and their evil ideology”.
The need for such a legislation is underscored by the recent rise in antisemitic incidents in the country. A notable case was the performance of the Nazi salute by 30 National Socialist Movement members on the steps of the Victorian parliament in March, during an anti-transgender rights rally. This legislation, initiated in June and passed in December 2023, forms part of Australia’s efforts to bolster its counter-terrorism framework and defend the rights of its populace. Though the initial draft of the bill did not target the use of the Nazi salute, a spate of antisemitic episodes prompted its modification in November to make such use illegal.
In the context of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict and subsequent rise in Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents in Australia, this law carries additional weight. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reiterated the stringent Australian policy against antisemitism, stating, “we will continue to make it clear there is no place for prejudice or hatred, antisemitism or Islamophobia here in our society”.
This story was first reported by JURIST.