The Australian government will ban the public display and sale of Nazi symbols and paraphernalia, Federal Justice Minister Mark Dreyfus announced today.
Dreyfus said in an interview with the Australian ABC television network that he would propose a bill to other members of the government that would prohibit the public display of the Nazi swastika and the Sutstafel (SS) symbol, as well as the marketing of paraphernalia bearing these symbols.
The aim is «to send the message that the spread of hatred, violence and anti-Semitism has no place in Australia», the Minister said.
«We need to send the message that there is no place in Australia for such attitudes» nor «those who want to glorify the horrors of the Holocaust».
The use of the swastika for religious purposes - the symbol is mainly used by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists - will be exempted from the ban, as will uses for academic, educational, artistic, literary, journalistic and scientific purposes.
The Nazi salute will not be banned at the federal level, it will be left to the governments of each state to decide on this independently.
Last year, Victoria became the first Australian state to ban the public display of the swastika. In March, it also banned the Nazi salute, following incidents between neo-Nazis and pro-bisexual rights protesters.
Mr Dreyfus explained that he would recommend that the bill provide for prison sentences of up to 12 months for offenders.
