Summary
Jacob Hersant, a self-described Nazi, was sentenced to one month in prison, becoming the first person in Australia jailed for performing an outlawed Nazi salute.
Convicted in Victoria for making the salute outside a courthouse in October, Hersant’s act followed new legislation banning the gesture.
Magistrate Brett Sonnet justified the sentence, citing Hersant’s intent to promote Nazi ideology publicly.
Hersant’s lawyer argued that his actions were nonviolent and claimed they were protected as political expression, stating plans to appeal the ruling on constitutional grounds.
I don’t care that he’s a Nazi. I care that what I consider to be his inviolable rights have been violated. His political shit should be as free to express as any other. Imagine it Trump goes and makes it illegal to indicate yourself as a Democrat. Wouldn’t be surprised if he did that after seeing your attitude, because I’m sure you’re more reasonable than him and doing it anyhow.
Tolerance of intolerance is not a path to freedom. Choosing to do nothing will only mean that rights and freedoms will be destroyed. Call this the lesser of two evils if you must.
If you let intolerance fester, it will grow and take control, then it will start hurting and squeezing others. It’d be foolish to sacrifice freedom in the name of freedom.
So why do you think I should tolerate this? Why is your intolerance excused?
Are you worried about being jailed for Nazi views? So you should be, and consider yourself lucky. I’d rather have you jailed for a month to hopefully learn your lesson that we don’t take to hatred and violence lightly, than to allow you a platform to gather support so you can hurt and kill millions.
I don’t have Nazi views. I have American views of free speech. You’re the person trying to hurt people.
This law seems to be explicitly in place to avoid people getting hurt. You have not provided any argument at all how it doesn’t.
Nobody is hurt by a gesture. Sticks and stones. You want these people hiding themselves? I imagine it’s better they stay in the open. I’m sure someone is out there making a list.
We can’t use the same tactics that would be used to suppress minorities to go after them because we become them that way.
Thank you for providing an actual argument.
As we have witnessed in many places, these stuff isn’t always outlawed. In places where these views can be expressed more freely, it either escalate to the point where someone is hurt, or they gain enough popularity that it becomes almost impossible to stop. I believe that the best way to deal with the problem is to address it quickly head on when we know this is universally abhorrent.
I don’t really think the whole Nazi thing is even about what Hitler made it about. That said, what it is about is a form of authoritarianism that I’m very against. Despite that, I think they should be able to talk about it all they like. It’s not like they’re winning any votes. We should jail people for being Republican. They’re doing that thing.
I have not once heard of legislation here that genuinely violated people’s rights other than Victoria’s snap lockdown of a group of apartment buildings during COVID, which got the government into a class action lawsuit.
Saying you value free speech, then saying that people who can violate others rights should also have freedom of speech in that regard, seems like you don’t know anything about what free speech is all about.
Tolerate what exactly? Not following the law? Tolerate the law that is in favour of freedom and democracy?
Edit: you font discuss in good faith so just forget it.
I do not tolerate a law that is NOT in favor of freedom.
In Australia, and likely in most other countries, rights come with responsibilities. Our freedom of political communication, as outlined in the Victorian Human Rights Charter, doesn’t allow us to infringe on others’ rights to feel safe. Public expressions of neonazism can intimidate and threaten community safety, which limits that freedom. Just as we can’t harass or incite violence, any form of expression that undermines others’ rights to safety is restricted.
I myself also believe freedoms shouldn’t be tarnished by outrageous legislation, but I don’t believe this is an example of that, as it protects other people’s rights more than the ones prosecuted.
You’re just a bad faith baiter lol
I’m not. You’re just the kind of person who parrots lines like that without any regards to it’s meaning.
Yeah, I get it. You support hate speech and Nazis under the guise of free speech. I wouldn’t be surprised if date rape is the only way you will ever get laid.
Removed by mod
Not really. You thought bringing up raping a woman flippantly in a discussion was legitimate thus outing yourself as an incel.
This is really simple. Hate speech is not protected speech. Arguing about free speech in the context of Nazism is just a dog whistle for racists. So now you are a racist incel. I think you see where this is going.
On a personal level. Go find a new schtick. If you don’t want to be known as a Nazi, don’t defend Nazis. There is a world of people who need your righteous indignation.
mY inViOlAbLe riGhTs to be a nazi!
Do you even listen to yourself? Or are you just trying to stir up hate so that you can feel prosecuted?
Yes, people have a right to identify how they like, think what they like, and communicate what they like so long as that communication isn’t a threat on another individual or cause a panic.
I’m not a Nazi, but that guy is and you’re obviously persecuting him.
Is it should be.