Media Releases

“An appalling sight – and one for which there must be consequences and effective action,” is how AIJAC’s Director of Community and of International Affairs, Jeremy Jones, described the behaviour of neo-Nazis in central Melbourne this past weekend.

“Even though they are few in number and have no political or social influence, the thugs and miscreants who made the Nazi salute did so to intimidate, bully and challenge the intrinsic values of our liberal democracy”, Mr Jones, who has researched and written on the far-right for more than 30 years, said.

“In their case, hatred and anger come before any political considerations, but they have chosen to append themselves to a particularly vile and evil ideology, as they feel this will cause the most upset and uproar,” Mr Jones added.

“AIJAC welcomes the announcement by Victorian Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes that her government, after due consultation, will now seek to legislate a ban on the public display of the Nazi salute.

“Unless and until there are consequences for their actions, we can expect neo-Nazis to become more brazen, which is both a sobering reality and a reason to act expeditiously,” Mr Jones concluded.