WHAT HAPPENED IN MELBOURNE?
* About 30 men dressed in black performed a Nazi salute on the steps of the Victorian Parliament on Saturday afternoon
* The group were attending an anti-transgender rights rally where campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull spoke
* Along with performing the salute, they also carried signs calling transgender people offensive names
WHO IS KELLIE-JAY KEEN-MINSHULL?
* The British anti-trans activist, also known as Posie Parker, is founder of the group Standing for Women
* She claims she is advocating for women's safety but opponents accuse her of spreading misinformation and hate against transgender people
* Ms Keen-Minshull spoke at the Melbourne rally on Saturday and is due to speak outside of Tasmania's Parliament House in Hobart
* The New Zealand government is considering barring her from entering their country, despite having speaking engagements lined up this weekend for Auckland and Wellington.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE MELBOURNE RALLY?
* The Victorian government on Monday announced it would fast-track legislation to ban the Nazi salute. In December 2022, Victoria became the first state to ban the Nazi swastika
* The Tasmanian government on Tuesday announced it would introduce legislation to ban the salute. It was already planning to table legislation this week that would ban the display of Nazi symbols in public
WHAT OTHER STATES HAVE TAKEN ACTION AGAINST NAZI SYMBOLS/GESTURES?
* NSW in August passed legislation making intentionally waving a Nazi flag or displaying memorabilia bearing swastikas a criminal offence
* The Western Australian government announced in January it was planning to criminalise the display and possession of Nazi symbols
* The Queensland government also has committed to banning hate symbols
KEY QUOTES AFTER THE MELBOURNE PROTEST:
* "Why would you make it harder for trans Victorians? The notion that people are choosing this for fun ... it's so offensive, it's so cruel, it's not mainstream thinking" - Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews
* "We will never tolerate or accept any association with neo-Nazis and white supremacists or anybody who sympathises with them" - Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto
* "The use of the Nazi salute is offensive, distressing and a breach of our community and moral standards" - Tasmanian Attorney-General Elise Archer
* "The passing of (the Victorian) law will be a resounding triumph for justice and a thunderous blow to the solar plexus of an angry Neo-Nazi movement that will now realise the law is no longer be on its side" - Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich
* "These Nazis will continue to target vulnerable groups. It is incumbent on political and community leaders not to use those groups as political pawns, which only empowers these groups" - Monash University Holocaust expert David Slucki
* "Parliament House, the home of Tasmanian democracy, should not be giving a platform to speakers who attract Nazi sympathisers" - Equality Tasmania spokeswoman Rose Boccalatte
Australian Associated Press
