WARNING: Some images may cause offence
Shocking new footage has come to light of a group of neo-Nazis storming the electoral office of the South Australian premier last month and doing a Hitler salute.
The incident happened in late November, mere days before the state government banned displays of the swastika symbol and doing Nazi salutes, following in the footsteps of similar legislation in Victoria.
News.com.au has obtained the disturbing footage which shows a group of four men, plus one more person filming them, dressed all in black and with balaclavas entering the offices to dump ‘Vote Yes’ posters there just past 3pm on November 24.
A nervous staff member can be seen behind a glass partition, eyeing off the white supremacists in the reception area of the inner-west Adelaide building.
As they turn to exit the office, the men filmed themselves doing a Hitler salute.
They were part of the National Socialist Network, an Australian neo-Nazi political organisation formed from two far-right organisations.
Premier Peter Malinauskas has labelled the act as “cowardly” while an academic leading the charge on banning Nazi symbols said it was “a frontal assault on our democracy” and an “outrageous” and “abhorrent” “attack”.
A South Australian Police spokesperson said no-one was charged over the incident as no criminal offences had been identified from their conduct.
“A number of masked men entered a building on Port Road leaving a number of corflute signs inside before exiting,” they said.
“No offences were identified,” police said.
News.com.au contacted Mr Malinauskas’ office for comment.
In a statement to the ABC, the premier labelled the act a “cowardly attack”.
“I am thankful that my electorate staff were not injured. I have little appetite in giving Neo Nazis any airtime.”
In a Telegram thread, seen by news.com.au, which is also where the video was posted, a leader of the South Australian division of the National Socialist Network said they had launched the stunt to protest against the state’s plan to launch their own First Nations Voice to Parliament.
South Australia is the only state so far to introduce laws to bring in its own state-based Voice to parliament.
Dr Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, has been spearheading the national campaign to ban the Nazi swastika and was appalled to learn of the November incident.
“To violate the sanctity of the Premier’s office is a frontal assault on our democracy,” he said in a statement to news.com.au.
“This outrage is beyond words and beyond contempt and shows that these Hitler worshippers are willing to cross every red line.”
He went on to say that it was concerning to see a rise in homegrown ‘Final solutionists’ taking a foothold in Australia.
“The contagion of unvarnished, raw hate that is now defiling Adelaide has reached an ominous pitch fever and is spiralling out of control,” he said.
“We need to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to this growing societal virus. Make no mistake: this is a serious threat to the fabric of our cohesive, multicultural life. I am pleased that my campaign for a federal ban on the Nazi salute has now been enacted.”
It follows similar heated Neo-Nazi displays in past weeks.
Just last weekend, on Sunday, a group of masked men chanted “Australia is for the white man” and marched through the streets of the Victorian regional town of Ballarat.
On Monday, the Victorian premier Jacinta Allan said the government condemned the “hateful” behaviour and Victoria’s police union called for neo-Nazi demonstrations to be banned.