By Alex Crowe
A prominent Melbourne white supremacist is expected to be the first person charged for breaching Victoria’s Nazi salute laws after allegedly performing the banned action outside court last week.
Police launched an investigation into the actions of Jacob Hersant, who allegedly performed the Nazi salute in front of media outside Melbourne County Court last Friday.
Hersant said, “Heil Hitler” and allegedly raised his arm in an action comparable to the salute after he avoided additional prison time for assaulting bushwalkers in regional Victoria.
Police said Melbourne detectives had interviewed the 24-year-old Point Cook man on Wednesday.
Hersant was expected to be charged for a breach of the Summary Offences Act 1966, which came into force less than a week before he was alleged to have saluted the media.
“Police are taking a zero-tolerance approach to any breach on the prohibition on performing Nazi salutes or displaying Nazi symbols in public,” a Victoria Police statement said.
The 24-year-old was outside court alongside Thomas Sewell, the self-proclaimed leader of the National Socialist Network and his co-offender in the bushwalkers case, who also said “Heil Hitler” as they left the court.
Hersant repeated “Heil Hitler” after Sewell, and allegedly lifted his arm to make a salute.
“Nearly did it,” he said. “It’s illegal now, isn’t it?” he said, laughing and lowering his arm.
Sewell and Hersant were sentenced in the County Court on Friday after pleading guilty to violent disorder against three bushwalkers who filmed the pair’s group as they gathered at the Cathedral Range State Park at Taggerty in May 2021.
During the sentencing, Judge Kellie Blair said the pair were both young fathers who had little prior contact with the criminal justice system and their offending was at the lower end of the spectrum.
Blair said she believed the prospects of rehabilitation for the pair were good.“Good luck with the future gentlemen,” she added as she left the bench.
The Summary Offences (Nazi Salute Prohibition) Bill received royal assent last Friday, which means it has been illegal to undertake a Nazi salute in Victoria for just a week.
This is the first report of an alleged Nazi salute to police since the new legislation came into effect on October 21.
The decision to strengthen the anti-vilification laws was made after a far-right protest at Parliament House in March was attended by members of the National Socialist Network, who performed Nazi salutes on parliament’s steps before being led away by police.
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