Victoria is the first state in Australia to ban the open display of swastikas. In addition, the state government introduced a bill on Wednesday that would make deliberately feeding a swastika a crime.
The proposal is likely to receive broad support in both houses of the Victorian Parliament. The law will come into effect one year after it has been approved by parliament.
Violators can face severe penalties. The maximum prison sentence is twelve months, and fines can be up to almost 22,000 Australian dollars, converted to about 14,500 euros.
Religious Hindu, Buddha, and Jain versions of the swastika are not banned. The use of swastikas for historical, educational and artistic purposes is also an exception.
In several western countries, including Germany openly wearing swastikas has been banned for some time.
