A Melbourne man named Jacob Hersant was charged on Friday (November 10) under a new law in the Australian state of Victoria which banned Nazi salutes and symbols.
The 24-year-old was accused of performing the gesture outside a Melbourne court on October 27.
Hersant's charge was the first time the anti-Nazi legislation was applied in the state after it was put into force last month. He will face the Melbourne magistrates court on December 8, Perth Now reported.
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Banning Nazi Salutes
The law was triggered in Victoria after neo-Nazis performed the salute outside the state parliament earlier this year.
The ban applied to anything closely resembling a Nazi gesture or symbol but exceptions apply if either were displayed in good faith for a genuine academic, artistic, educational, or scientific purpose.
Under the law, businesses and establishments displaying historical memorabilia in public need to cover any Nazi symbols or gestures.
Violators could face fines of more than A$23,000 ($14,600) or 12 months in jail.
A detail of the Victoria police badge on a police officer during a memorial service to honor Constable Angela Taylor on March 24, 2016, in Melbourne, Australia. Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Russell Street bombing, which killed Constable Taylor and injured 21 others when a car bomb exploded outside the Russell Street Police Station in 1986.
Beyond Victoria, the federal government has proposed a ban on the display and sale of Nazi symbol items but it does not cover statues as that falls under the jurisdiction of the states and territories.
Tasmania became the first Australian jurisdiction to pass the ban on the Nazi salute earlier this year.
New South Wales and Canberra have already banned the public display of Nazi symbols, while West Australia announced earlier this year to follow suit.
Queensland also recently passed a law banning hate symbols, including those related to Nazis.
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