Australia has announced it will introduce a national ban on Nazi symbols, in an effort to crack down on far-right groups.
Public displays of the swastika or SS symbols will be punishable by up to a year in prison. However the new laws will not cover the Nazi salute.
Nazi symbols already banned in many states.
But this means they won’t allowed anywhere, the government says.
The move comes amid a resurgence in far-right activity.
The ban includes the trade and public display of flags, armbands, T-shirts, insignia and the publication of symbols online promoting Nazi ideology, Mr Dreyfus said.
However public displays of the Nazi swastika and SS symbols for academic, educational, artistic, literary, journalistic or scientific purposes will allowed.
The Nazi salute is not covered by the legislation and will instead left to state authorities to police.
Victoria and Queensland already announced bans earlier this year.
The ban also carefully drafted to exclude the display of the swastika in religious contexts. Due to its spiritual significance.
The Nazi swastika derived from an ancient hooked cross motif.
This remains a sacred symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Prior to recent events in Melbourne, local media reported that neo-Nazis had infiltrated anti-lockdown protests. This happened during the Covid-19 pandemic to spread their message and recruit members.
