Introduction to the media issue: Should Australian states outlaw the Nazi salute?
Video clip at right: On September 2, 2022, 7 News televised a report showing a group of masked far-right extremists making a Nazi salute outside the Adelaide Holocaust Museum and then posting images of their action online on a Nazi chatroom.
The Issue at a Glance
What they said...'These are thugs who are trying to intimidate and put fear into people. If they're allowed to keep on doing this, it justifies it in the eyes of the public. There has to be a law to stop it'
Holocaust survivor, Jack Leder, criticising antisemites giving the Nazi salute
'If you don't believe in a person's right to say things that you might find "grossly offensive", then you don't believe in Freedom of Speech'
Comedian and actor, Ricky Gervais, defending a man who posted a videoclip in which a dog performed Nazi salutes
On January 27, 2023, it was reported that a group of Holocaust survivors are urging the Victorian government to ban the Nazi salute in public.
The move follows a series of recent incidents where white supremacists performed the gesture in public spaces, including at a ceremony for Indigenous Australians.
Supporters claim the ban is necessary because of the distress caused Holocaust survivors and their families. They say it is also necessary to reduce the spread of racial hatred.It is seen by some as a necessary follow-up to banning the Nazi swastika, which the Victorian government did in June 2021. Other states have since either banned or are about to ban the swastika.
However, some commentators are concerned that banning the Nazi salute is an excessive restriction of freedom of expression.