Swastika sword seized as men charged over Nazi symbols
Dominic Giannini |
Extremist material and Nazi iconography, including a sword with a swastika, have been seized as three men face charges of publicly displaying prohibited symbols and threatening the Jewish community.
The Australian Federal Police’s national security investigations team has charged a 43-year-old British national with displaying a prohibited Nazi symbol in Queensland.
The man had been under investigation since October for allegedly using two accounts on social media platform X to display the Nazi Hakenkreuz and espouse Nazi ideology, the AFP said.
Police also allege he advocated for violence toward the Jewish community.
They allege he posted content between October 10 and November 5 that violated Commonwealth law, and his main account was blocked by X, which resulted in him using a second handle “to continue posting offensive, harmful and targeted content”.
Police seized a mobile phone and several weapons, including a sword with a swastika, axes and knives during a November 21 search of his Caboolture home.
The man has been charged with three counts of publicly displaying prohibited Nazi symbols and one count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence.
The charges carry a maximum of five and three years in prison respectively.
“Some prohibited symbols can have chilling effects on individuals and can be viewed as a direct threat to someone’s safety,” AFP assistant commissioner Stephen Nutt told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
“Others promote racial hatred or racial superiority, or are associated with histories of violence.
“Prohibiting the public display of these symbols helps protect our dignity, safety and cohesion of our diverse community.”
A 21-year-old Queensland man was also arrested following a search warrant at a Brisbane home on Thursday.
It followed an investigation into the importation of prohibited symbols, which resulted in two flags and two prohibited extremist books being seized.
Police allegedly found violent extremist material on the man’s phone when searching his home.
He has been charged with two counts of possessing violent extremist material, which carries up to five years behind bars.
Separately, a 25-year-old Sydney man will face court after he allegedly performed a Nazi salute at a public gathering.
The offence carries up to a year in prison.
Where there were no grounds to lay criminal charges for voluntary surrender of extremist literature and prohibited symbols, “this activity gave us valuable intelligence and allowed us to remind people of Australian laws,” Mr Nutt said.
“I could not be clearer, the AFP will not hesitate to take action against those who undermine Australia’s social cohesion, sovereignty and democracy.”
It followed a week of police action targeting social cohesion nationwide.
More investigations were under way, Mr Nutt said.
“The investigations revealed significant intelligence for us, which will aid in future operations,” he said.
There has been a renewed focus on neo-Nazis following an anti-Semitic protest outside NSW parliament in November and a push to establish a White Australia federal political party, with more than 1500 people signing up, surpassing the threshold needed to register.
Police were focused on criminality, not particular political or ideological views, and the registration of parties was a matter for the Australian Electoral Commission, Mr Nutt said when asked about the potential party.
Mr Nutt acknowledged an increased number of threats against parliamentarians.
AAP
