A nationalist activist has been jailed for 21 days for “offensive behaviour” for wearing a meme T-shirt and performing a Nazi salute in Melbourne’s CBD, even though the gesture was legal at the time.
Michael Nelson, 22, faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday along with fellow ex-National Socialist Network member Nathan Bull over a June 2023 incident where they wore red T-shirts saying “6 million? That’s a bit much mate” and bearing an image of a “chudjak”.
Nelson, who made headlines nationwide after being arrested at a One Nation event in June, was sentenced to 21 days’ imprisonment and taken into custody, while Mr Bull’s case was adjourned until September 9 in order for him to obtain legal representation.
On the day of the stunt police gave the pair a move-on order which they complied with, but launched an investigation after images of the incident went viral and sparked complaints from Jewish lobby groups. Victoria outlawed the Nazi salute in October that year, and a federal ban came into effect in January 2024.
Both men fought the charges but were found guilty last month by Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge, who indicated he was seeking to impose the maximum penalty of two months’ imprisonment.
In court on Friday a defence lawyer argued for a non-custodial sentence as Nelson was 19 at the time of the offending, had no prior criminal convictions, had already been punished with a $740 infringement seven months after the incident, and had good prospects of rehabilitation.
But prosecutors argued that the stunt was a “deliberate, personal, public and hate-driven offence that was intended to provoke and offend as many people as possible”, said a jail sentence was needed for deterrence and community protection, and claimed Nelson had little potential for rehabilitation.
In handing down his sentence Magistrate Lethbridge highlighted Nelson’s convictions for minor offences committed since the incident, which he called “absolutely egregious behaviour”.
He went on to accuse Nelson of being a danger to the community, said he had little insight into his offending, told the court “the conduct was so egregious it warrants immediate prison”, and claimed it had the potential to “trigger violence in the community”.
The magistrate then called the stunt a “carefully choreographed and deliberate act that set out to cause substantial anger, disgust and outrage” and launched into a tirade about Nazism, calling it the “by-product of a Germanic genocidal society which performed the greatest crimes against humanity”.
Mr Bull said outside court the sentence was “ridiculous” and revealed he intends to appeal his own conviction.
In June Nelson and Bull were also found guilty of offensive behaviour for booing a “welcome to country” humiliation ritual at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance on Anzac Day last year, and fined $1,900 and $1,000 respectively.
Earlier this year former National Socialist Network leader Jacob Hersant, who was also convicted over the booing incident, was jailed for 30 days for performing a Nazi salute outside a Melbourne court in October 2023, six days after it was banned.
Header image: Left, Michael Nelson (Telegram). Right, Nathan Bull outside court (supplied).
