Horror over CFMEU protest supporters’ depiction of Anthony Albanese as Hitler

A cartoon depicting Anthony Albanese as Hitler with the tagline “Albanazi” has been shared by CFMEU protest supporters online, sparking outrage and prompting calls for a police investigation.

Pictures depicting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as Hitler circulating online with the tagline “Albanazi” have been slammed by prominent members of the Jewish community with calls for police to investigate.

Ahead of Tuesday’s CFMEU rally, a cartoon showing Albanese with a Hitler moustache and tagged Albanazi and with the words sellout written on his forehead was posted to the Unions Australia Facebook account and circulated online between users.

Depictions of Albanese as Hitler circulated by CFMEU protest supporters.

Deputy Liberal leader David Southwick, who is a prominent member of the Jewish community in Melbourne, hit out at the pictures saying they “disgust” people and it was horrific that union movement members were comparing Australia’s leader to Hitler who was responsible for millions of deaths during the holocaust.

“These images are appalling,” he said.

Deputy Liberal leader David Southwick says the pictures ‘disgust’ people. Picture: Getty Images

“There is no place for that, anywhere in our state or anywhere to be quite frank, and I would hope that we have police move swiftly on those because there are laws in place.

“Particularly, we passed a number of laws on Nazi salutes and banning the Nazi swastika. It’s time for action. Not talk on this stuff. Let’s get tough and ensure that those kinds of people that want to use imagery that quite frankly, disgusted people. There needs to be consequences.”

Mr Albanese previously has spoken out against anti-Semitism and social cohesion issues.

In July he announced lawyer and respected Jewish community member Jillian Segal as Australia’s inaugural special envoy to combat anti-Semitism in response to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said the picture reflected an “ugly” political climate that allows Nazism to be trivialised.

“This is a perverse personal attack on the Prime Minister and an obscene trivialisation of Nazism,” he said.

“It is a symptom of an ugly political climate in which anyone whose views we oppose is called a Nazi.

“This endangers the safety of the target, in this case the Prime Minister, and also makes it difficult to understand the true nature of Nazism and the continuing threat from the ideology.”

Mr Albanese’s office has been contacted for comment.