A 36-year-old man has been charged by New South Wales (NSW) police after allegedly making a Nazi salute during a football game at Moore Park Stadium in Sydney earlier this year.
The incident occurred in Apr. 2024, and following an extensive investigation, detectives from Surry Hills Police Area Command arrested the man on Oct. 14.
He has been charged with making a Nazi gesture in a public place, an offence criminalised by the Federal government’s legislation prohibiting Nazi symbols, which came into effect in January 2024. This arrest comes amidst growing concerns about antisemitism across Australia, which has seen an alarming surge, particularly following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Increasing Vigilance on Hate Symbols
In January this year, the government announced that it is unlawful to perform the Nazi salute in public or to display or trade in Nazi hate symbols. The Albanese government’s legislation came into force on Jan. 8.The new laws also ensure that glorifying and praising acts of terrorism are criminal offences under Commonwealth law.
Earlier this year, NSW Premier Chris Minns announced similar measures to outlaw Nazi symbols in the state, stressing that such gestures and symbols represent the horrors of Adolf Hitler’s terror regime and have no place in modern society.
Growing Anti-Semitic Sentiment
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed deep concern over the rise of antisemitism in the country, particularly following the terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas.On the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 assault, which killed over 1,200 Israeli civilians, Albanese reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fighting all forms of hatred and discrimination.
“Jewish Australians have felt the cold shadows of antisemitism reaching into the present day, and as a nation, we say never again,” the Prime Minister declared.
Rising Concerns on University Campuses
The surge in antisemitic behaviour has been particularly alarming on Australian university campuses.Jewish student and staff unions have called for a judicial inquiry into the rising antisemitism, which they say has become even more prevalent since the Hamas attacks.
Noah Loven, a representative from the Australian Union of Jewish Students, gave testimony to a Senate committee chaired by Labor Senator Nita Green, calling the situation “untenable.”
“Jewish students are avoiding campus, fearing for their safety, with many removing identifiable Jewish symbols,” Loven told the committee, warning that universities have failed to address the issue adequately.
The call for action comes amid reports of Jewish students facing bullying, harassment, and an overall hostile environment, with some students saying they no longer feel safe attending classes or expressing their religious identity on campus.
