Heil Hitler coded on a NSW number plate
Transport for NSW will face calls to enhance its hate speech filters following the discovery of a neo-Nazi phrase on a Sydney number plate this week.
The image published in The Sunday Telegraph
According to The Sunday Telegraph, a vigilant motorist reported the offensive plate, which bears the inscription “88 Sieg.” It’s worth noting that “88” is a coded reference for “Heil Hitler,” and “sieg” translates to “victory” in German.
In response to this public complaint, Transport for NSW initiated the process of cancelling the registration. However, Roads Minister John Graham expressed his dismay that such a plate was ever issued, emphasizing that there is no room for neo-Nazism in New South Wales. He underscored the state’s commitment to combating hatred and intolerance within the community.
Graham has instructed Transport for NSW to promptly bolster its system to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Furthermore, he called for a review of regulations to expedite the retrieval of offensive plates in cases involving anti-Semitism or the incitement of hatred.
A spokesperson for Transport for NSW issued an apology, acknowledging that the plate had been issued in January. This incident unfolded during the Jewish holy days, particularly Yom Kippur, considered the most sacred day in the religious calendar.
Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, described this incident as a glaring manifestation of neo-Nazi hatred lurking beneath the surface. He called for a nationwide program to educate against anti-Semitism in schools, providing resources and support to educators and parents to combat this form of hatred, especially before it infiltrates universities, workplaces, and society at large.
It’s noteworthy that the NSW Government had already banned the public display of Nazi symbols, though statistics from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research indicate only one conviction for this offence from August 2022 to June 2023.
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Dr Colin Rubenstein has welcomed the swift action by the NSW State Government to review its filtering controls on the approval of vehicle registration plates in NSW.
To those who observe neo-Nazi activity, 88 is a clear and unequivocal reference to the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. It is disgusting in the extreme and has no place on NSW streets,” Dr Rubenstein said.
This rego plate is offensive to the survivors of the Holocaust, their descendants and those in the Australian army who gave their lives fighting fascism.
It is disturbing and totally offensive to see such a brazen display of neo-Nazism in NSW and Australia.
As AIJAC has been and will continue to be, at the forefront of the fight to ban the use of neo-Nazi symbols in Australia, we certainly welcome this swift action by the NSW Government,” Dr Rubenstein concluded.
J-Wire has request from The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, None was received at time of publishing.
