Notorious neo-Nazi arrested over alleged Hitler salute

Victorian Police are looking to charge a notorious Australian neo-Nazi Jacob Hersant for “grossly offensive public conduct” after about 30 masked men descended on Melbourne’s Flinders Street station.

Officers arrested the 24-year-old North Melbourne man at the scene on Saturday where he was interviewed for “grossly offensive public conduct”.

Hersant, who in 2023 became the first Victorian charged with allegedly performing a Nazi salute in public after a crackdown on state laws, was released with intent to summons, and will appear in court at a later stage.

He is also expected to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court in September for the 2023 charges.

Eight other men were also interviewed by police for offensive behaviour in a public place, and were also released with intent to summons.

About 30 dressed in black stormed the major train station at about 4.10pm where they began to chant offensive phrases and held up a banner which read: “Mass Deportation Now”.

The unplanned demonstration was organised by the National Socialist Network, which are reported to be the largest neo-Nazi and white supremacist group operating in Australia.

Victoria Police say the group quickly dispersed once police arrived at the scene, where officers seized their banner and a flag.

“Police will assess the circumstances surrounding the demonstration and review vision of the incident and people involved,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“Anyone who witnessed the incident, with footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online.”

In April, Hersant and fellow known neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell ducked a challenge against their sentences over an attack on a group of hikers during a demonstration at the Cathedral Ranges State Park on May 8, 2021.

At the time County Court Judge Kellie Blair sentenced Sewell to 37 days in jail, however he was allowed to walk free after the court acknowledged he had already spent more than six months in solitary confinement on remand.

Hersant was sentenced to 200 hours of community service.

Justice Karen Emerton told the court that Judge Kellie Blair was entitled to treat Sewell’s time on remand as punishment enough.

She said the panel had found Hersant’s sentence manifestly inadequate but dismissed the appeal with the court’s “residual discretion”.

“It would be counter-productive to return him to custody in circumstances where he was a young offender who had completed all 200 hours of work imposed under the community corrections order,” Justice Emerton said.

Hersant and Sewell were also involved in the highly maligned neo-Nazi Australia Day demonstration in Sydney this year, with police intercepting the group of about 70 masked men at North Sydney station.