Police investigate after man’s alleged Nazi salute
A defiant Melbourne neo-Nazi group leader caught himself halfway through performing a Sieg Heil salute just minutes after a judge said he had “good” prospects and spared the young father jail.
Moments after leaving the Victorian County Court on Friday afternoon, Jacob Hersant, 24, exclaimed “heil Hitler” in front of waiting media before throwing his arm forward.
“Oh ho nearly did it ha ha – that’s illegal now isn’t it,” he said.
“Australia for the white man, heil Hitler.”
Police have confirmed they are investigating the incident.
“Victoria Police is investigating after allegations a man performed the Nazi salute and said ‘heil Hitler’ outside a Melbourne court on 27 October,” a spokesperson said.
“We will locate and interview this person in relation to this behaviour.”
The spokesperson said Victoria Police would be taking “a zero-tolerance approach to any breach of the prohibition on performing Nazi salutes or displaying Nazi symbols in public”.
“This is the first time an incidence of a Nazi salute has been reported to police since the new legislation came into effect on Saturday, 21 October,” they said.
Under the new laws, anyone caught throwing the offensive gesture in public could face fines of up to $23,000 and imprisonment for up to 12 months.
Hersant and co-offender Thomas Sewell, 30, were spared jail after pleading guilty to a charge of violent disorder each.
The two leaders of Australian neo-Nazi movements remained defiant, blaming “gay-Jewish-Communist” lies, as they walked free.
The duo, both dressed in navy suits, sat relaxed in the dock chatting casually before the hearing began as nine supporters entered the courtroom.
The court was told Sewell, then-leader of the European Australian Movement, and Hersant, who headed the National Socialist Network, were gathering with members of the organisations at the Cathedral Range State Park northeast of Melbourne on May 8, 2021, for a “camping weekend”.
About 10 to 15 members of the group confronted a separate group of six friends who were staying nearby and chose to hike Mount Sugarloaf.
The court was told the incident began when one of the hikers filmed the men, many of whom were wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the Celtic cross – a known white supremacy symbol — after seeing a “Australia for the white man” sticker on a nearby tree.
The group, including Sewell and Hersant, began kicking and punching a vehicle as the hikers attempted to leave – smashing windows and taking their mobile phones.
One of the victims later recounted a Stanley knife being thrust through the windows as he was ordered to “give us your phones and get out of the car”.
They called triple-0 as they fled the area, telling police they were “terrified by the violence” and feared being assaulted or killed.
Sentencing Sewell and Hersant, Judge Kellie Blair said while the offending was “inherently serious”, she agreed with their lawyers that it was spontaneous, not linked to their political views and the two men didn’t instigate the “pack mentality of violence”.
“The victims posed no danger or threat to your group,” she said.
“You were both active participants in the violent offending in that you both performed acts.”
Sewell, who had spent more than six months on remand after his arrest, was sentenced to one month and seven days jail recognised as time served.
Hersant, who had spent three days in custody, was sentenced to 200 hours of community service over the next 14 months.
“Good luck gentlemen,” Judge Blair said as she left the bench.
Both Sewell and Hersant smiled and received congratulations from their supporters after Judge Blair left the courtroom.
Outside court both men remained defiant, with both yelling “heil Hitler” and Sewell claiming the victims had fabricated parts of the story and attacked them first.
“We’ve been attacked on two occasions and on both occasions we were defending ourselves,” Sewell said, referencing his 2021 attack on a Channel 9 security guard. .
“If it happens a third time, unfortunately we’ll have to do it again.”
He claimed he, and two 18-year-old members, were run over during the exchange, which he blamed on “gay-Jewish-Communists”.
“They’re anti-fascists, so they’ve got a political motivation to make false accusations,” Sewell said.
“People feel like they can attack us, we’ve got views against the mainstream and therefore they can do whatever they want to us,” Hersant added.
“Those people learnt on the day differently … it‘s a complete lie and it’s in the interest of the state to allow these lies to just be believed.”
Chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, Dr Dvir Abramovich, said the actions and rhetoric outside court demonstrated their white supremacist beliefs.
“I trust that Victoria Police will prosecute Thomas Hersant under the new law banning the public displays of the Nazi salute,” he said.
“The law must always convey, in a clear and loud voice, that physical violence and expressions of bigotry and hatred will not be tolerated in Victoria, and I wonder whether Victoria Police will not consider an appeal.”
