Victoria moves to ban Nazi salute only after used against preferred group

The state of Victoria, Australia is moving to ban the Nazi salute after it was reportedly used in a counter-protest against a rally for people who are disoriented about their gender.

This is not the first time the Nazi salute has been used in Victoria. In 2021 Victoria Premier Dan Andrews slammed the neo-Nazi Nationalist Socialist Network for antisemitism after members of the group reportedly gave the salute in the state’s Grampians national park.

But the group appears to also have used the Nazi salute against gender-disoriented people last week, and the Victorian government now seeks to ban the gesture.

Victoria Attorney General Jaclyn Symes says it will take “some work” to get it right, but the law will be passed.

“We’ll look at some models and we’ll get it done as quickly as we can,” said Symes, according to The Guardian.

“The behaviour we saw on the weekend was disgusting, cowardly – a sense of sadness, outrage and disbelief all at once,” she told ABC Radio. “It’s clear this symbol is being used to incite hatred against a variety of people, a variety of minority groups. . .it’s being used as a recruitment tool.”

Opposition leader John Pesutto has reportedly signaled that passing such a law will have bipartisan support.

But the proposition raises questions about the Victorian government’s preference to ban the expression rather than the Nationalist Socialist Network itself. These questions grow more significant when considering that Victoria’s government is not against banning certain groups in principle, having banned those who refused the COVID-19 vaccines.

"There is going to be a vaccinated economy, and you get to participate in that if you are vaccinated," Victoria Premier Dan Andrews said in September 2021. "We're going to move to a situation where, to protect the health system, we are going to lock out people who are not vaccinated and can be," he added. 

Andrews is well-known for his heavy-handed response to COVID-19, earning the title “Coronavirus Dictator” from the Washington Post. The premier was quick to pull the trigger on harsh lockdowns in response to low caseloads — sometimes as little as 22 COVID cases — keeping Victorian citizens under lockdown for a total of 262 days.   

In Andrews’ Victoria, an easing of restrictions meant that two individuals could meet outdoors for four hours — up from two — within 10 kilometers of their homes. This was in addition to the time allotted for exercise.  

Andrews’ refusal to mete out similar treatment to neo-Nazis — particularly since the medical establishment has deemed racism a “public health crisis” and suggests there is a “racism pandemic” in Victoria — may lead some to wonder about which groups Andrews considers threats to society.