Police Chief "Apology to Jewish Community"
Australia Bans Nazi Gestures in Public Places
A police officer with 40 years of experience in Victoria, Australia, is reportedly facing prosecution after performing a 'Nazi salute' by raising his right arm and shouting 'Heil Hitler' in front of other staff members.
On the 13th (local time), Australian news agency AAP and others reported on this incident that occurred at the Victoria Police Academy. A police instructor (65) who was teaching about domestic violence at the Victoria Police Academy performed the Nazi salute?shouting the Nazi slogan 'Heil Hitler' while extending his right arm diagonally with the palm facing down?in front of trainees and police academy staff on the 8th and 9th.
In March last year, protesters participated in an anti-transgender rally in front of the Parliament House in Melbourne, Australia, performing Nazi salutes. [Photo by EPA Yonhap News]
After this fact became public, Shane Patton, Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, held a press conference on the 10th and issued an official apology. Commissioner Patton said, "This incident occurred on the one-year anniversary of the Palestinian armed group Hamas's surprise attack on Israel, which has deepened the sorrow and pain felt by the Jewish community," adding, "I sincerely apologize not only to the Jewish community but to society as a whole." He stated that the officer involved had served for over 40 years and had no history of holding extremist views. He also said, "The motive behind the Nazi salute has not been confirmed, but the motive is not important," and emphasized, "Such behavior is unacceptable." The officer was suspended on the 11th and is reportedly likely to be prosecuted.
In Australia, last March, when a transgender rights advocacy group held a protest in front of the Melbourne Parliament House, opposing group members appeared, shouting anti-transgender slogans and disrupting the protest by performing Nazi salutes. At that time, Victoria had criminalized the public display of the Nazi symbol, the Hakenkreuz (swastika), punishable by up to one year in prison or a fine of AUD 22,000 (approximately 20 million KRW). However, the Nazi salute was not included in the punishable offenses.
Following this protest, Australian federal law and Victoria state law added the act of performing Nazi gestures in public places as a criminal offense. Local media explained that, accordingly, the police officer could face up to one year in prison or a fine of AUD 23,000 (approximately 21 million KRW). Currently, besides Australia, several countries including Germany, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Canada, Belgium, France, Sweden, Switzerland, and Russia prohibit Nazi salutes or shouting related slogans by law.
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