Victoria outlaws the exhibition of the Nazi emblem

Victoria was the first Australian state to ban the Nazi swastika.

Under the new law, anyone who intentionally marks the mark could risk up to a year in prison or a $ 22,000 fine (£ 12,300, $ 15,000). Victoria’s Prime Minister Dan Andrews said “no one has the right to spread racism, hatred and anti-Semitism.”

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As in many countries around the world, anti-Semitic events have increased dramatically in recent years in Australia. Victoria has laws against hatred, but has been criticized for having “holes”.

In 2020, aspirations for reform intensified as the couple raised swastikas in their homes and caused outrage among locals. State officials called the new legislation “a moment of pride.” The other three states plan to introduce similar laws. Victoria Attorney General Jacqueline Simes said in a statement: “The Nazi symbol is to glorify one of the worst ideologies in history, and public exposure will cause more suffering and division.”

There are special cases when the symbols are presented in historical, educational and artistic contexts. As it has been for thousands of years, it can be used in the religious contexts of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

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People will only be prosecuted if they ignore the original trademark removal application. Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the anti-slander committee, campaigned for the law and called it a “storm” of the neo-Nazi movement.

“Our country is in the throes of a revived white supremacy movement, pursuing a dangerous and humiliating agenda, but this parliament has said that the symbol of Nazism will not find a safe haven in our country,” he told the Australian newspaper.

According to a study by Tel Aviv University, there has been an increase in global anti-Semitic incidents in the last year. There were 88 in one month in Australia.

This is a national record. In 2020, the head of the Australian secret services warned that there was a “real threat” to national security from neo-Nazis. According to him, the “small cells” of right-wing extremists gathered regularly to salute the Nazi flag and share their ideology. Since the beginning of the pandemic, unions and others have accused far-right groups of “infiltrating” mass protests against locks and other restrictions.

The new law comes into force in six months.