Australia bans Nazi salute, swastika, other hate symbols in public as antisemitism spikes

[Polybius]

Source: CBS News

Australian lawmakers have banned the performance of the Nazi salute in public and outlawed the display or sale of Nazi hate symbols such as the swastika in landmark legislation that went into effect in the country Monday. The new laws also make the act of glorifying OR praising acts of terrorism a criminal offense.

The crime of publicly performing the Nazi salute or displaying the Nazi swastika is punishable by up to 12 months in prison, according to the Reuters news agency.

Mark Dreyfus, Australia's Attorney-General, said in a press release Monday that the laws — the first of their kind in the country — sent "a clear message: there is no place in Australia for acts and symbols that glorify the horrors of the Holocaust and terrorist acts."

"No one in Australia will be allowed to glorify or profit from acts and symbols that celebrate the Nazis and their evil ideology," the press release said.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/australia-bans-nazi-salute-swastika-amid-antisemitism/

[atreides1]

1. Oh well

Here in the USA it's protected by the 1st Amendment...you can give the Nazi salute, march under the Nazi flag, even sell and wear Nazi paraphernalia, and it's all protected by the 1st Amendment!

[brooklynite]

6. And good that it is...

…unless you want someone deciding that message you support should also be banned.

[canetoad]

8. Not everything

Turns into a frenetic slalom down a slippery slope. I'm good with this move, but as you know, we tend to be a little more sensible and measured in our responses.

[Novara]

2. "The new laws also make the act of glorifying OR praising acts of terrorism a criminal offense."

Then half of the House here would be prosecuted.

[PortTack]

3. Shame on America! We need hate speech laws...period!

[Polybius]

5. Can't do it in America

Courts would strike it down, because it violates the First Amendment.

[Voltaire2]

4. Waddabout freezepeach?

[Rhiannon12866]

7. I have long wondered why the U.S. didn't do this, same as Germany, after the war

[Polybius]

9. Because we can't

They can.