Group of neo-Nazis celebrates Hitler's birthday, raise their arms to salute dictator

A group of neo-Nazi men have been photographed performing the abhorrent Hitler salute as they celebrated the dictator's birthday at a family pub in Melbourne, Australia.

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The photograph showed 20-odd men attending the event at the Bavarian, a German-themed outletin Knox City Shopping Centre and raising their hands in a Nazi salute. One participant held a portrait of Hitler while two others held 'H' letter-shaped balloons, allegedly referring to the phrase 'Heil Hitler' which is often recited practicing the salute.

Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell who also heads the National Socialist Network was an attendee at the event. He took to his Telegram account and said it was a 'great and eventful' night celebrating Hitler's 134th birthday as the group enjoyed German food and beer.

“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 paedophile holidays,” read the Telegram post.

Sewell claimed that the likes of his neo-Nazi friends were being persecuted by civil society and that Hitler's truth would soon be out.

“Being confronted by systemic 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," he wrote.

“They persecute us because they know we are rising and the world will learn the truth about Hitler and look to us for leadership.”

Dark day for Australia's democracy

After the images went viral, Dr Dvir Abramovich, chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) released a statement condemning the act and called it a 'sad and dark day for Australia's democracy'.

"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," Abramovich was quoted as saying by Dail Mail Australia.

“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.”

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Hitler and his anti-Semitic views

Adolf Hitler ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945 with an iron fist. In a quest to create the perfect Aryan race, Hitler started the holocaust of Jews. It is reported that during his tenure, Hitler massacred over 11 million people, of which six million were Jews.

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Hitler loathed Jews ever since Germany lost the first World War. As he climbed the political ladder, his hate for Jews continued to rise. Once Hitler became the chancellor, he pushed his vile anti-Semitic ideas vehemently amongst the masses. He made the ordinary Germans believe that the genocide of Jews was the right way for Germany to achieve its full socioeconomic potential.

(With inputs from agencies)

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