Nazi chants banned in push to stop ‘vile hatred’
Neo-Nazis could face jail time or thousands of dollars in fines under laws rapidly drafted after a shocking fascist rally outside a state parliament.
Neo-Nazi rally outside NSW Parliament House (The Noticer)
The NSW Premier has hit out at “part-time Nazis”, saying the days of them espousing racist beliefs while hiding their faces are over.
Fresh legislation has been introduced into NSW Parliament, metres from where 60 black-clad neo-Nazis yelled Hitler youth chants in an alarming rally 11 days earlier.
Though Nazi symbols are already banned in many jurisdictions, the new bans will expand to behaviour that shows support for Nazi ideology through imagery or characteristics associated with the ideology.
Anyone who repeats Nazi chants will face up to a year in prison or a maximum fine of $11,000 – a punishment that could be doubled for those who do so near a synagogue, Jewish school or the Sydney Jewish Museum.
Neo-Nazis, who often don face coverings and sunglasses in public, will find it harder to hide as police are given powers to order people to reveal their identity if it helps an investigation for a Nazi-related offence.
Premier Chris Minns said the “novel pieces of legislation” – culminating with Wednesday’s bill – were designed to crack down on racist hatred.
“Individuals that wanted to hide in the shadows and be a part-time Nazi have realised they can’t,” he told reporters.
“You’re really going to have to stand up and expose yourself to your family, your friends, your community, that you’re part of this obnoxious organisation.”
Police will also be able to order perpetrators to take down suspected Nazi symbols and those who refuse could be hit with a $2200 fine or three months’ prison.
But the bans won’t be in place for months, with Labor allowing close scrutiny by a parliamentary committee to minimise the chances of a legal challenge.
Neo-Nazis’ “deplorable stunt” on November 8 necessitated “giving police and the courts additional powers to hold Nazi extremists to account for their abhorrent views,” NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley said.
He told parliament no charges have been laid yet over the rally.
The bill comes a day after NSW Labor had a second stab at a controversial push to stop protests near synagogues after earlier legislation was struck down by the courts for being too broad.
It would allow police to move on protesters who affect a person’s ability to enter or leave a place of worship.
The federal government has also taken action in the aftermath of the demonstration, revoking the visa of a South African neo-Nazi who attended the rally.
Matthew Gruter has been taken into detention and is awaiting imminent deportation, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke revealed.
“This bloke, for whatever reason, has decided that he can arrive in Australia and then tell a whole lot of Australian citizens that they’re not welcome here,” he told ABC Radio on Wednesday.
“Well, the person not welcome is him and he can leave.”
The move was supported by members of the coalition and One Nation, but United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet defended Gruter’s right to free speech.
David Ossip, president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, said the community welcomed the NSW Government’s plan to strengthen laws against public acts that show support for Nazi ideology.
“We wholeheartedly welcome these amendments, which take a firm stand against public acts that signal support for the Nazi ideology,” he said.
Ossip said the rise of neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups was not only a safety issue but a challenge to democratic values. “These groups threaten communal safety and cohesion, and their ideology is fundamentally at odds with our democracy.”
He said the proposed changes were an important step in preventing a repeat of last week’s scenes outside NSW Parliament House. “Decent people across NSW have had enough of hate groups trying to divide our community and undermine the cohesion Australians have long valued.”
The federal government has also taken action in the aftermath of the demonstration, revoking the visa of a South African neo-Nazi who attended the rally.
Matthew Gruter was taken into detention on Tuesday to await his imminent deportation, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke revealed.
Though the move has been supported by members of the coalition and One Nation, United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet defended Gruter’s right to free speech, warning “eventually the same power and attitude will be turned against you for your views”.
By: Kat Wong and Farid Farid /AAP
Ralph Babet – Free speech in a democracy cannot, and must not entail hate speech that calls for violence against a particular group based on ethnicity, sexual orientation or any grounds whatsoever.