Victoria will strengthen its anti-vilification laws to ban the Nazi salute following a far-right protest at Parliament House on Saturday.
Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes confirmed the move on Monday morning, condemning the behaviour at the protest as “disgraceful and cowardly”.
“It’s clear this symbol is being used to incite hatred, not just towards Jewish people but our LGBTIQ+ community and other minority groups,” she said.
“Victorians have zero tolerance of this behaviour and so do we. That’s why we’ll expand our nation-leading legislation banning the Nazi Hakenkreuz to include the Nazi salute – because everyone deserves to feel safe, welcome and included in Victoria.”
It’s not known when exactly the legislation will be brought before parliament. However, Opposition Leader John Pesutto has already flagged his support for a ban.
“We will work constructively with the government,” he told radio station 3AW on Monday morning.
“I think most sensible, decent people are on the same page here. What these salutes mean, and what they have the potential to incite, is a very serious thing. And I believe it’s justified as a limitation of free speech.”
On Saturday, anti-trans rights campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull organised to speak to supporters outside the Victorian parliament. A group of about 30 people dressed in black from the neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network attended in support and performed Nazi salutes on parliament’s steps before being led away by police.
Read the article by Broede Carmody and Lachlan Abbott in The Age.