But because it’s a common hand gesture, it also offers some form of deniability to those using it. This gesture, made by connecting the thumb and index finger to create a circle and spreading the other three fingers apart, can be interpreted as the letters “W” and “P”, standing for white power. They can change their tactics to evade prosecution, including using the OK symbol instead of a Nazi salute. It is also important to consider the way far-right extremists respond to these laws. If a statute is not precise, or is not able to be readily applied by law enforcement, it can allow offenders to escape conviction. However, a successful prosecution depends on a number of factors, including the wording of the particular laws and the evidence available. We know it when we see it and debates about interpretation are arguably moot. The Nazi salute is instantly recognisable and the most common far-right extremist hand sign globally. Arguably as important as the punishment is the recording of a conviction, building a track record of participation in far-right extremist movements. Penalties in these jurisdictions range from up to three years imprisonment in Germany to low-level fines. Authorities in the United Kingdom have more recently used provisions related to causing racially aggravated harassment, harm and distress to prosecute offenders. Others, such as Switzerland and Sweden, have broader statutes that capture the salute. Some countries have specifically banned the salute, such as Germany and others occupied by the Nazi regime during the second world war (Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland). International efforts to ban the Nazi salute Far-right extremists groups know this and their online materials feature many photos of members making salutes.
To the often alienated and angry young men attracted to far-right ideologies, photos of groups of men making the Nazi salute offer a sense of a collective and belonging. Importantly, the use of the gesture functions as a recruitment device in the same way the swastika is used. Thomas Sewell made a Nazi salute after leaving court in Melbourne last month. There are many instances of this in Australia, most recently by a group of men in the Melbourne suburb of Elwood (a suburb with a high proportion of Jewish residents) and by a far-right extremist leader after his conviction for assault against a Black security officer. It’s also used in public spaces to intimidate and spread fear. Today, the salute is used to identify oneself as a white nationalist or “Nazi”. More recently, it was appropriated and altered by propagandists among the National Socialists in Germany and fascists in Italy in the early 20th century as a way to both demonstrate commitment to these groups and unity of purpose. This was altered in artwork and culture over time in different contexts, including in France and the United States. The act of raising an arm in salute dates to the Roman Empire where it was used to display respect or allegiance. The Nazi salute as a symbol and recruitment tool These moves have been praised as a critical step toward depriving far-right extremists the use of a potent symbol associated with hatred, racism and the horrors of the Holocaust to intimidate and spread fear.įar-right groups in Australia have also sought to leverage the swastika as a recruitment tool, pulling in young men (in particular) who are attracted to its association with hatred and violence.īut these laws banning Nazi symbols do not (yet) cover the other way far-right extremists espouse their hateful ideology in public spaces and online: the Nazi or “fascist” salute.ĭoes Australia need new laws to combat right-wing extremism? Other states and territories, including NSW, Queensland, the ACT, Tasmania and most recently, Western Australia, are now taking similar steps. Publicly displaying the symbol is now a criminal offence and carries a penalty of up to $22,000, or 12 months of imprisonment. Amid the growing threat of far-right extremism in Australia, Victoria recently became the first state to ban the Nazi swastika, (known as the Hakenkreuz).
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