Australian police arrest neo-Nazi leader Hersant for offensive public conduct

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

Arrest and charges

Officers arrested the 24-year-old North Melbourne man at the scene on Saturday, where he was interviewed for the charges. Hersant, who became the first charged with allegedly performing a Nazi salute in public in 2023 after a crackdown on state laws, was released with intent to summons and will appear in court at a later date. 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 behavior in a public place and were released with intent to summons.

Incident details

The Neo-Nazi demonstration occurred around 4:10 p.m. local time when about 30 men dressed in black stormed the major train station, chanting racist phrases and holding a banner that read, “Mass Deportation Now.” The demonstration was organized by the National Socialist Network, reported to be the largest neo-Nazi and white supremacist group operating in Australia.

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

Penalty for being neo-Nazi

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

At the time, County Court Judge Kellie Blair sentenced Sewell to 37 days in jail, but 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.