Cessnock man charged over Nazi symbol
A 44-year-old Cessnock man has been charged after a Nazi symbol was allegedly marked on a council-issued rubbish bin in a residential area of the Hunter Valley town.
Hunter Valley Police District officers launched an investigation on Saturday, 31 January, following multiple public reports of the symbol. After inquiries, the man was issued with a Future Court Attendance Notice on Thursday, 5 February.
He has been charged with knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol by a public act without reasonable excuse, contrary to section 93ZAA of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW).
The man is due to appear at Cessnock Local Court on Thursday, 19 March 2026.
The charge relates to legislation introduced in late 2022 that prohibits the public display of Nazi symbols, including the Hakenkreuz (swastika) in its Nazi form. The maximum penalty is 12 months’ imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $11,000.
Limited exemptions exist for genuine academic, educational, artistic, religious or specified law-enforcement purposes.
The Cessnock matter is the latest in a growing number of prosecutions under the Nazi symbols ban since it came into force.
Recent cases across New South Wales have included alleged Nazi salutes and symbols displayed at public rallies, the Sydney Cricket Ground, Bondi Beach and various sporting venues, as well as graffiti, vehicle stickers, clothing, visible tattoos, shopfront signage and boats.
In the Hunter Valley region alone, police have pursued several matters in recent months, including at least one case that resulted in a custodial sentence being handed down in late 2025.
Senior police and the courts have consistently stated that the legislation is designed to prevent intimidation and shield communities from conduct linked to extremist ideology and hate.
Authorities have repeatedly emphasised that the public display of Nazi symbols can cause profound distress and harm, particularly to Jewish Australians, Holocaust survivors and their families, and other groups historically targeted by Nazi ideology.
Further amendments passed by the NSW Parliament in late 2025 have strengthened the regime. The changes introduced new offences covering the public display or performance of Nazi gestures and slogans, increased maximum penalties when such conduct occurs near places of worship, schools, community facilities or Holocaust memorials, and expanded police powers to deal with these incidents.
Police have urged anyone who witnesses suspected breaches of the Nazi symbols laws to report them.
