Australian state outlaws public displays of Nazi swastikas
A Nazi swastika is seen graffitied on the front of the Victorian State Parliament, In Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 1, 2012. (David Grosling/AAP Image via AP)
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An Australian state has become the first in the country to pass a law banning the public display of Nazi swastikas, as concerns grow about the rate at which local young people are being radicalized.
The Parliament of Victoria, Australia’s second-most populous state, passed laws late Tuesday that set penalties of 12 months in prison and fines for displaying the Nazi swastika, or Hakenkreuz.
Dvir Abramovich, chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, which fights antisemitism, said he expects New South Wales, Queensland, and Tasmania states will soon pass similar laws.
The law does not prohibit the display of swastikas in certain religious and cultural contexts.
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