Charisa Bossinakis
A group of white supremacists have gathered at a Melbourne restaurant in honor of Adolf Hitler.
Photos have begun circulating online of around 20 men, including the leader of the National Socialist Network, Thomas Sewell, at a Melbourne restaurant in celebration of the disgraced dictator's 134th birthday.
Images show that men were next to a photograph of Hitler and two 'H' balloons while giving the Nazi salute.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman told News Corp that they were called to The Bavarian, a German-inspired restaurant, at the Westfield Knox Shopping Centre, Wantirna South.
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“It is understood a group of people performed a Nazi salute at a venue on Burwood Highway and were asked to leave about 8.45 pm,” she said, as per the outlet.
“Police moved the group on, and no offences were identified.”
The Herald Sun reported that the group of men were escorted out of the establishment by police.
Dr Dvir Abramovich, chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC), who led the national campaign to ban the swastika and wants to criminalise the salute, called it a 'stomach-churning' event, according to news.com.au.
“Something is very wrong in Victoria, and we should be all alarmed by this brazen and stomach-churning outrage that will forever be a stain on our state,” he said.
“This beyond despicable display of Hitler worshipping and depravity belongs in Nazi Germany of the 1930s, not in a local restaurant where parents and children gather.”
He added that more needs to be done to disband the movement of 'modern-day guards of Auschwitz'.
“I urge the Andrews government to quickly implement the ban on the Nazi salute that they promised last month, develop a plan of action to combat this violent extremist ideology and ask the Federal government to designate all such groups as terrorist organisations," he advised.
“This is a timely wake-up call that we as a society need to keep a close watch on the resurgence of this dangerous movement."
The Herald Sun reported that according to a leaked correspondence from the encrypted app Telegram, Thomas Sewell called the event a 'holy day' and condemned officers for forcing him to leave the venue.
“Despite not breaking any laws and not disturbing a soul, we were set upon by a dozen scum from Victoria Police who were terribly upset we were celebrating this holy day instead of the government-approved gay or pedophile holidays,” his message stated.
“Being confronted by system violence while our families and babies were present we were forced to eat our Hitler cake while being escorted from the shopping centre under threat of political violence.
“They persecute us because they know we are rising and the world will learn the truth about Hitler and look to us for leadership.”
UNILAD has approached The Bavarian for comment.