A group of men were photographed giving the Nazi salute as they celebrated the Nazi dictator’s birthday in a family pub.
Thomas Sewell, the leader of the National Socialist Network, was among those attending Thursday’s event at the Bavarian — a German-themed outlet — at the Knox City Shopping Center in Melbourne’s Wantirna.
Photos shared via encrypted messaging showed the men raising their hands in a Nazi salute as one held a photo of Hitler and the other held two balloons shaped like the letter H, meaning Heil Hitler.
A group of men were photographed giving the Hitler salute as they celebrated the Nazi dictator’s birthday at a Melbourne pub
Thomas Sewell, the leader of the National Socialist Network, was among those attending Thursday’s event at the Bavarian — a German-themed outlet — at the Knox City Shopping Center in Melbourne’s Wantirna.
Dr. Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the anti-defamation commission, described it as a “sad and dark day for our democracy.”
“Something is very wrong in Victoria, and we should all be alarmed by this brazen and stomach-churning outrage that will forever stain our state,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
Sewell, who was found guilty of assaulting a Channel 9 security guard last year, reportedly described the night as “amazing and eventful” in a Telegram post.
“Despite breaking no laws and disturbing no one, we were besieged by a dozen scum from the Victoria Police who were terribly upset that we were celebrating this holy day instead of government-approved gay or pedophile holidays.” , the message read.
Facing systematic violence while our families and babies were present, we were forced to eat our Hitler cake while being escorted from the mall under threat of political violence.
“They are persecuting us because they know we are rising and the world will learn the truth about Hitler and look to us for leadership,” Sewell wrote.
Victoria Police confirmed officers “attended a licensed building in Wantirna South on Thursday.
A group of people reportedly gave the Nazi salute at a location on the Burwood Highway and asked to leave at around 8:45 p.m.
“Police have moved the group and no violations have been identified,” a police spokesman said.
Another member of the group Jimeone Roberts also reportedly sent a Telegram message of a man giving the Nazi salute in front of a group of Victoria police officers.
Thomas Sewell (pictured left) visited the Nine Network building in Melbourne with a cameraman on March 1, 2021 and demanded to speak to someone from A Current Affair
“Victoria… Police decided to bring in and harass a celebration of Adolf Hitler’s birthday… using Public Order Response and dozens of traitorous anti-white pigs,” the message read.
“Despite full compliance, the … scum continued to attempt to incite violence against sane family men simply enjoying a night out,” it continued.
While giving a Heil Hitler salute is not illegal in Victoria, it will be once legislation to ban it is passed by the state parliament.
This process is underway after neo-Nazis hijacked a ‘Let Women Speak’ rally in front of Victoria’s parliament last month.
Neo-Nazi Ethan Hendren was seen at that rally and he also captured photos taken at the event on Thursday.
Dr. Abramovich, Australia’s leading anti-hate advocate, said the actions of Sewell and his cohort amounted to a “particular evil”.
“This beyond despicable display of Hitler worship and depravity belongs in 1930s Nazi Germany, not in a local restaurant where parents and children gather.”
He said the Nazi salute is a “terrifying horror” for Holocaust survivors, especially given the moment it happened.
In the same week that the Jewish community across the country remembered and lamented the systematic extermination of six million Jews by the Third Reich and its collaborators, these hardcore white supremacists celebrated the birthday of the monster responsible for the gassing of mothers. and babies and shooting families in open fields,” he said.
Dr. Abramovich urged Victorian Prime Minister Daniel Andrews to crack down on neo-Nazis.
“This is a timely wake-up call that we as a society need to keep a close eye on the resurgence of this dangerous movement if we are to prevent further shootings, as we have seen in New Zealand and other parts of the world.
“This is a fight we have to win,” he said.
Off court, Sewell (pictured) was defiant and gave another Nazi salute as he emerged
Dr. Abramovich (pictured) urged Victorian Prime Minister Daniel Andrews to crack down on neo-Nazis
