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Swastika banned in Australia amid rise in anti-Semitism
A sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents in recent times is behind the decision in Victoria to ban the display of the Nazi swastika, according to the BBC.
Victoria is first state in Australia to take this step.
Under a new law, people who intentionally exhibit the symbol face up to a year in jail or a fine of A$22,000 (US$15,000).
Victoria Premier Dan Andrews said that ‘nobody has the right to spread racism, hate or anti-Semitism’.
According to the BBC, Victoria already has anti-hate speech laws, but the state has been criticised for having ‘gaps’.
A push for reform intensified in 2020 when a couple raised a swastika flag above their home, angering the local community.
Said Victorian Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes in a statement: ‘The Nazi symbol glorifies one of the most hateful ideologies in history – its public display does nothing but cause further pain and division.’
Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich, who campaigned for the law, called it a ‘thunderous blow’ to the neo-Nazi movement.
The BBC reports that the number of anti-Semitic incidents around the world dramatically increased last year, according to a study by Tel Aviv University. Australia had 88 in one month alone, a national record.
In 2020, Australia’s intelligence chief warned of a ‘real threat’ to the country’s security from neo-Nazis. He said ‘small cells’ of right-wing extremists were meeting regularly to salute Nazi flags and support their ideology.
[Image: https://pixabay.com/vectors/capitalism-fascism-hate-152815/]
