Canberra teen charged over alleged Nazi salutes and extremist propaganda
A Canberra teenager has been charged with multiple offences after allegedly performing Nazi salutes in public and distributing extremist propaganda at shopping centres and a university campus in the nation’s capital.
Alleged incidents
Police allege the 18-year-old Weston man made two separate Nazi salutes directed at members of the public at suburban shopping centres in recent months.
Investigators also accuse the teenager of repeatedly trespassing at the Australian National University (ANU) in August and September, where he allegedly placed propaganda-style stickers on buildings and other Commonwealth property.
In one October incident, a member of the public reportedly confronted the teenager as he was allegedly putting up stickers at a shopping centre, with police alleging he responded by giving a Nazi salute before leaving the premises.
A second alleged Nazi salute was reported on 12 December at a different Canberra shopping centre.
Police operation and seized items
An Australian Federal Police (AFP) National Security Investigations team, supported by ACT Policing, executed a search warrant at a Weston property on Wednesday 24 December.
Officers seized mobile phones, a computer, stickers, storage devices, a video camera and items of clothing as part of the ongoing investigation.
The teenager is due to appear in the ACT Magistrates Court, where he will face a range of criminal charges linked to the alleged behaviour.
Charges and potential penalties
The man has been charged with two counts of publicly displaying prohibited Nazi symbols or giving a Nazi salute under the Criminal Code Act 1995.
These offences carry a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and are subject to mandatory minimum sentencing provisions.
He also faces two counts of damaging Commonwealth property, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, and two counts of offensive or disorderly behaviour on Commonwealth premises.
All charges relate to alleged conduct at Commonwealth properties and public spaces in Canberra.
AFP warning on antisemitism and radicalisation
AFP Assistant Commissioner Counter Terrorism and Special Investigations Stephen Nutt said antisemitism would not be tolerated in Australia and condemned the alleged Nazi salutes as criminal conduct that harms the Jewish community and broader social cohesion.
He said the AFP’s National Security Investigations team, established in September, is focused on individuals and groups causing serious harm to Australia’s social fabric, including those seeking to vilify marginalised communities.
Assistant Commissioner Nutt described antisemitism as a “cancer that requires swift and direct action” and emphasised the importance of working with partner agencies to prevent hate, division and violence.
The AFP has urged families and communities to remain alert to signs of possible radicalisation among young people, such as social withdrawal, increased use of extremist rhetoric, fixation on conspiracy theories and intensive engagement with fringe online forums.
Community impact and social cohesion
The case has renewed concern about the visibility of extremist symbols in public spaces and their impact on Jewish and other multicultural communities in Canberra and across Australia.
Authorities say strong enforcement of laws banning Nazi symbols, combined with early intervention around radicalisation, is essential to protecting vulnerable communities and maintaining social cohesion.
The matter remains before the courts, and the accused is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
English