People found displaying swastikas in public or performing a Nazi salute could be fined up to $20,000 or face a year in jail, under tough new laws proposed by the State Government.
In response to continuing reports of a rise in antisemitic incidents and anti-immigration activities by neo-Nazi groups around Australia, the State Government has moved to ban the public display of Nazi symbols and performance of the gesture known as the Nazi salute.
The move would bring South Australia in line with most other Australian states and territories, with Western Australia and the Northern Territory being the only jurisdictions yet to legislate for some form of ban.
The new laws will contain comprehensive defences for innocent uses of Nazi symbols including use in good faith for academic, educational, or artistic purposes, and for religious purposes such as the swastika used as a religious symbol of peace in Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain faiths.
A Parliamentary Select Committee established in 2022 has heard evidence from SAPOL, the Adelaide Holocaust Museum and Andrew Steiner Education Centre, the History Trust of SA and other groups which formed a valuable basis for the drafting of this legislation.
As put by Kyam Maher
We have seen increased activity from the neo-Nazi movement around the country which is totally unacceptable.
This bill will impose tough new penalties on those who seek to promote this abhorrent ideology, and give police the powers they need to ensure prohibited symbols are swiftly removed.
I firmly believe South Australia is an inclusive, welcoming place that embraces diversity in all its forms.
These laws send a clear message that the use of these most widely recognised symbols of hate, violence, and intolerance, to incite division in the community, has no place in South Australia.
This move will also help ensure our state remains a safe and inclusive place, particularly for the Jewish community.
I also understand there are times when people use the image of the swastika in good faith – especially in certain religions – which is why there will be defences available when the symbol is used in good faith for religious, educational, or reporting purposes.
