Self-described Nazi becomes first person jailed in Australia for performing outlawed salute

https://lemmy.world/post/21780460

Self-described Nazi becomes first person jailed in Australia for performing outlawed salute - Lemmy.World

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 like Nazis for sure, but I also don’t like people being jailed for expressing their views and speech. So my thought would be to get like two or three hundred protesters together and all go to that courthouse and make that salute and make them arrest every one of them. If the court system wants to waste their own time and tons of taxpayer money, prosecuting people for free speech, then let them do so. Kind of like Iran using $2,000 drones to cost Israel $2 million missiles.

300 Nazis outing themselves and going to prison to (hopefully) be rehabilitated with counseling?

Don’t threaten me with a good time.

(I am aware the prison system is not super fantastic in Australia, but we’re miles ahead of the US, and some of this 300 may actually be dissuaded. And also, they’re Nazis, so. If you believe your fellow human beings are animals, then you don’t get free speech, sorry.)