The NSW Government will consider strengthening anti-Nazi laws, to respond to recent neo-Nazi gatherings in Sydney.
NSW Police intercepted a group of over 60 neo-Nazis, including a known neo-Nazi leader, on a Sydney train on Friday. The group were dressed in balaclavas and all black.
Similarly dressed groups were then seen at suburban parks on Sydney’s North Shore over the weekend.
The state government will now meet with legal experts to determine if new legislation is needed to restrict the activity of extremist groups.
Neo-Nazis in Sydney
Police responded to reports of a balaclava-clad group travelling towards the CBD by train on Friday. They were stopped at North Sydney station and commuters were evacuated.
Six people were arrested and 55 others received infringement notices. The group was ordered not to travel into the CBD over concerns they would disrupt 26 January events.
Another neo-Nazi gathering took place in Turramurra on Saturday, while police attended a third meeting in an Artarmon park on Sunday. No arrests were made.
Laws in NSW
NSW passed laws to ban the public display of the Nazi symbol in 2022. However, questions have been raised over whether or not the ban includes the Nazi salute.
Premier Chris Minns said that if the current ban doesn’t explicitly outlaw the Nazi salute, then the government will introduce legislation to make it illegal.
Minns has also warned that neo-Nazis could be ‘named and shamed’ in a public forum, to deter similar gatherings from occurring in the future.
