
Victorian Police have used capsicum spray to disperse a group of Nazis who disrupted an asylum seeker rally on Tuesday, but say they can’t make any arrests unless the Nazis call for oil exploration to be ceased, or other such threatening behaviour.
“We’ve had a situation where Nazis have been chanting white supremacist slogans. But unfortunately until they chant something truly intimidating like “Just stop oil” or “No to new coal mines” then I’m afraid all we can do is tell them to move on,” a police spokesperson said.
She said community safety was the top priority. “People should know that we’re keeping a close eye on the situation, and as soon as one of these Nazis suggests reducing greenhouse gas emissions, they’ll be cuffed and put in the back of a police vehicle.
“We are very conscious of not letting this escalate from a few banal slogans praising Hitler to more aggressive calls for action on climate”.
The Nazis also carried signs with slogans such as ‘Fuck off we’re full’, which Police described as “impolite, but not as dangerous to the community as a sign that reads ‘This is not what we meant by Hot Girl Summer’”