Some absolutely deranged flog flew a Nazi flag above a synagogue in Brisbane today, and I hope they eat dry sharp rocks for breakfast for the rest of the year.
According to Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies Vice President Jason Steinberg, via the AAP, members of a Brisbane synagogue witnessed a swastika symbol hanging from a nearby UniLodge apartment building on Margaret St in the Brissie CBD this morning.
In photos shared by Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, you can see the flag is directly facing the synagogue next door.
This is sickening. For someone to fly this symbol of hatred and genocide right above the Brisbane Synagogue on Margaret St is pure evil. It’s time for this vile flag to be banned in Queensland. pic.twitter.com/rgTgrbpPXv
— Adrian Schrinner (@bne_lordmayor) October 30, 2021
The awful incident comes less than a fortnight before the 83rd anniversary of the Night of Broken Glass. On the 9th of November in 1938, organised groups of Nazis across Germany, Austria, and parts of Czechoslovakia took to the streets in anti-semitic violent demonstrations, burning down synagogues and destroying Jewish-owned businesses. It’s a very ugly chapter of modern European history.
“That flag and that symbol, the Nazi swastika symbol, represents one of the most evil moments in human history,” Steinberg said.
“For that to appear in 2021 in Brisbane over a synagogue is just atrocious.”
Queensland Police officers visited the apartment before confiscating the flag and issuing the individual responsible a notice to appear for public nuisance. However, it’s worth mentioning that, as of publishing, there’s no law in Queensland or most states that explicitly outlaw the public display of Nazi symbols.
Victoria became the first state to legally ban the public display of Nazi flags and iconography in September this year. Even then, that law won’t likely be fully introduced until the first half of 2022.
The Queensland government launched an inquiry into serious vilification and hate crimes in April. The committee involved is expected to report its findings back to the Legislative Assembly by the 31st January 2022, and what they come back with could prove whether legislation is needed (duh).
Queensland Multicultural Affairs Minister Leanne Linard, who said that incidents like this are why the Palaszczuk Government launched the inquiry, added that this type of behaviour “is not who we are as Queenslanders and should be called out at every opportunity.”
Earlier this year, a stall at Sydney’s Supanova Expo was shut down after reportedly trying to sell Nazi and alt-right propaganda. The event’s organisers issued a lengthy apology in response.
