A retired father-of-six who moved from Argentina to Australia 30 years ago has been granted bail after allegedly performing a Nazi salute inside a busy pub.
Norberto Trimestra, 68, was arrested on Friday at the Criterion Hotel on Pitt Street in Sydney’s CBD after security guards alerted police about 7.10pm when he refused to leave.
Quarter, from Carlingford in Sydney’s northwest, worked as an electronics engineer before retiring in 2023 and now describes himself on social media as an online journalist, the Daily Telegraph reports.
A Treimestra Facebook account is full of posts talking about politics and history, particularly in relation to his native Argentina.
On another social media account he describes himself as “a journalist who invents new forms of democratic governments.”
Treimestra has been charged with knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol without excuse in public, making a gesture in a public place that constitutes a Nazi salute and failing to leave the premises when necessary.
He appeared at Parramatta Court on Saturday, where he pleaded no contest and applied for bail, which was granted on the condition that he does not drink alcohol, report to police twice a week and not approach less than 1km from CBD.
The court was told that Trimestra argued with officers before his arrest and that police feared his behavior could worsen, but his lawyer told the court his client had no history of violent incidents or breaches of court conditions.
Norberto Trimestra (pictured), 68, was arrested on Friday night at the Criterion Hotel on Pitt St in Sydney’s CBD after security guards alerted police about 7.10pm.
The retired engineer allegedly performed a Nazi salute in the pub (pictured), refused to leave and then argued with police before being arrested.
The court heard Trimestra had misdemeanors on his criminal record, including traffic violations and previous offenses for failing to leave licensed premises when asked.
His lawyer argued that there was no evidence of these crimes other than their mention in police documents.
Trimestra, who has three adult children in Sydney and another three in Argentina, will return to court on January 8.
In November, two of the first people convicted under laws banning displays of Nazi symbolism had their guilty verdicts overturned after a judge determined that their public salutes could not definitively be linked to the German fascist regime.
Three men were charged with performing the salute at Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium in October 2022 during the Australian Cup final match between Sydney United 58 and Macarthur FC.
Two convictions were overturned, but a judge confirmed the guilt of the third man, who performed the salute seven times.
Another man will face Newtown Local Court after being charged with performing the salute after standing in front of a protest march and allegedly making threatening comments.