Neo-Nazis from the National Socialist Network were at the event, which was hosted at a Melbourne restaurant.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Damien Richardson made the Nazi salute at a National Workers Alliance meeting last year. (Supplied.)<\/p>\n
During a speech, Mr Richardson raised his right hand and said, “Am I gonna be fined now? I’m going to go jail for five years?”<\/p>\n
Under Victorian laws that commenced in 2023, it is illegal to make a Nazi salute in public or display Nazi symbols in most scenarios.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Magistrate Justin Foster found Mr Richardson guilty of the offence, after the actor fought the charge laid by Victoria Police.<\/p>\n
The magistrate said the gesture Mr Richardson performed “clearly looked like a Nazi salute”.<\/p>\n
He ruled the act occurred in a public place and was not done as part of a theatrical performance, one of the potential exemptions to the laws.<\/p>\n
“It’s clearly a speech that doesn’t cross over into anything artistic or theatrical,” Magistrate Foster said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Damien Richardson in a scene from Neighbours. (www.imdb.com)<\/p>\n
The magistrate noted Mr Richardson’s actions did not mean he was displaying loyalty, affiliation or obedience to Adolf Hitler.<\/p>\n
“Just prior to him giving the salute, the accused was complaining of his treatment by The Age newspaper,” Magistrate Foster said.<\/p>\n
“He was saying that The Age treated him badly and was essentially labelling him as a Nazi or like Hitler, to shut down what some might describe as extreme right-wing views.<\/p>\n
“The salute that came immediately afterwards was in a mocking gesture, perhaps aimed at The Age, perhaps aimed at himself, I don’t know.<\/p>\n
“It was trying to demonstrate, together with the words that follow, that he clearly wasn’t Adolf Hitler and that he’s not a Nazi.”<\/p>\n