Deliberately waving a Nazi flag or displaying swastika memorabilia in New South Wales can result in fines of over $100,000 and up to a year in prison.
of It passed the Senate unanimously on Thursday.
This comes after an investigation earlier this year recommended a ban on the public display of Nazi symbols to combat rising anti-Semitism.
New South Wales becomes second Australian state to pass landmark legislation .
NSW Jewish MP Darren Burke, CEO, said the passage of the law marks a historic day for NSW.
“Nazi symbols are gateways to violence and are used as recruiting tools by extremists.
“Banning their display is a long-awaited and much-needed law in our state. Perpetrators will ultimately be held accountable.”
The Holocaust is a genocide perpetrated by the Nazi regime in Germany that killed approximately 6 million Jews and other ethnic minorities, including during World War II.
A section of the bill states that the display of swastikas associated with Buddhism, Hinduism, or Jainism is permitted and separate from the illegal display of the Nazi symbol Hakenkreuz.
“For too long, the Hindu community did not feel comfortable displaying the peace symbol because it resembled the symbol of evil. This is no longer the case,” he said. Vice President of the Hindu Council of Australia, Surinder Jain said.
The swastika is a highly religious and spiritual figure for Hindus and Buddhists around the world. sauce: Getty / SOPA Image/LightRocket via Getty Images
Burke said the law is also a “game changer to combating online hate,” calling on tech companies to step up their efforts to remove images and symbols associated with Nazism.
Labor Party member Walt Secord, a member of the parliamentary committee to consider banning Nazi symbols and an ardent supporter of the bill, said 31 incidents of flying the Nazi flag were reported to police in 2020. said.
Many members of the Senate’s government and opposition parties have told personal stories of the lived experiences of families who endured the Holocaust and warned of the dangers of rising neo-Nazi trends.
On Thursday, Secord said a New South Wales man arrested by anti-terrorism police in September had a Nazi flag and state map on his bedroom wall and plans to build a gun with a 3D printer. It was revealed that there is
In 2020, ASIO said far-right violent extremism, with its emphasis on neo-Nazi ideology, accounted for about 40% of the counter-terrorism caseload.
New South Wales becomes second state to ban display of Nazi symbols
Source link New South Wales becomes second state to ban display of Nazi symbols
