Nazi Gestures and Signs See One Man Facing Jail, Another’s Business at Risk

With time behind bars and significant fines among the possible penalties, Australia’s new law against Nazi salutes is having an impact.

Pro-Palestine supporters march towards Flinders Street Station during an organised protest in commemoration of the anniversary of the war on Gaza on October 06, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. Diego Fedele/Getty Images

A Victorian man is facing a jail term after becoming the first person in the state convicted of performing the Nazi salute in public, while the fate of a NSW restaurateur is in question after he was charged with knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol.

In the first case, Jacob Hersant was found guilty earlier this week of intentionally performing the salute on Oct. 27, 2023, about six days after Victorian laws banning the gesture came into effect. Magistrate Brett Sonnet indicated he would give him a “relatively modest” jail term.