The premier of Australia's Victoria state condemned on Sunday Nazi salutes at a protest in the state capital Melbourne as an attempt "to scapegoat minorities" using "evil ideology".
Transgender rights protesters clashed with neo-Nazis in Melbourne on Saturday after a British anti-transgender activist sought to address supporters at the city's parliament building, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
On Sunday, The Australian newspaper posted to Twitter an image of several men dressed in black performing a Nazi salute outside the parliament.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the anti-transgender activists had "gathered to spread hate" in the city.
"On the steps of our parliament, some of them performed a Nazi salute. They were there to say the trans community don't deserve rights, safety or dignity," Andrews said on Twitter.
"That's what Nazis do. Their evil ideology is to scapegoat minorities - and it's got no place here. And those who stand with them don't, either."
Police told Reuters there were around 300 protestors in total, with around 15 "possibly belonging to right wing groups".
Victoria in December passed laws criminalising the public display of Nazi symbols in what the centre-left Labor state government said was a move to stamp out antisemitism and hate.
In November, a soccer fan who gave a Nazi salute at the Australia Cup final in Sydney, the capital of neighboring New South Wales state, was banned for life from any games sanctioned by Football Australia (FA).
The behavior of the fan was described as "absolutely horrendous" by New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet.
© Thomson Reuters 2023.
9 Comments
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Algernon LaCroix
Andrews is a far-left socialist, so I bet he wouldn't object to the Soviet hammer and sickle or the Chinese CCP flag - both representing ideologies equally as abhorrent as Nazism and with an even higher death count.
Bob Fosse
Who’d have thunk it? The person condemning Nazism is actually the bad guy? /s
albaleo
I don't think it's the ideology of communism that is abhorrent. It's the result of some individuals acquiring power that is the problem. George Orwell's Animal Farm was a good lesson on how great dreams can turn sour.
Whatever, don't be a sheep!
Politik Kills
you make it sound like it’s a bad thing!
Yrral
People like this have psychological regress
Awa no Gaijin
They even banned a symbol that wasn't nazi because they don't realize the direction difference.
Oh dear
Yrral
These are bottom feeders coward,they have lots of time to address minorities in person,but they choose not too, because minorities,do have any fear of them
Kuku
Yrral, you see, moder doesn't dream:))))) If it's freedom than what is unfreedom in my country?.....
Algernon LaCroix
Trust me, it is.