New anti Nazi laws that maybe of interest

The Nazi swastika is quite different and notable from the other variants. Its straight black lines and 45 degree tilt make it stand out. The closest I can see of the other forms of the swastika is the Finnish one, also present at the same time, which only resembles it in the straight lines. Otherwise, it is blue and “flat” with the arms perpendicular or parallel to the bottom line. It may also be in the opposite direction.

The legislation doesn’t define a Nazi symbol, it’s very brief:

93ZA Offence of displaying Nazi symbols - A person who knowingly displays, by public act and without reasonable excuse, a Nazi symbol commits an offence.

I guess that might allow for prosecution & defense lawyers to further increase their wealth in courtroom arguments - for example the plural “symbols” could just mean multiple swastikas…or could it include SS runes? I’m not a lawyer. Nevertheless the primary intent is clearly to give police legal authority they have not had before (a salient point made at the enquiry which led to the legislation) to take down publically displayed flags, rather than leave it to a riot by the general population - it’s all about the public use of the swastika to promote Nazi ideology.

So its use in scale models (even in a Show) is analogous to the Sydney Jewish Museum’s public display of it in a historical context so would be allowable, as would display in its original Buddhistic form – as per the cited exemptions.

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My “guess” is that if this new legislation was to be tested in a court of law then the “intent” of its use would come into consideration.

But it show a typical knee jerk law that has too many holes in it.

I’m thinking they left the definition loose so it can be stretched to cover all the “almost NAZI” symbols invented by modern extremist groups to act as replacement banners where the swastika is already outlawed. But it does mean that model shows etc may have to be prepared to defend their exemption from time to time as some misguided do-gooder reports them…

In my opinion, it should be the modellers choice to display it or not, I remarked WW1 swastika on WW1 planes are concerned too, revell censored their 1/72 albatros DIII.

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