Australia
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Two men were convicted for attaching swastika stickers to the office of Australian lawmaker and Deputy Liberal leader David Southwick, who had been outspoken in support of banning the swastika.

Monday’s conviction of the two suspects, one who posted over 50 swastika stickers after Victoria’s law banning the swastika and a second who assisted him, was praised by Jewish community leaders, the Australian Jewish News reported.

Jimeone Roberts, 29, who is reportedly associated with the far right National Socialist Network, posted the stickers in Caulfied on May 12, the day after Victoria announce it was enacting a swastika ban. Assisting him was Jack Bell, 21, who was charged with offensive behavior.

Many of the stickers were attached to the office of Caulfied MP and Deputy Liberal Leader David Southwick, who was one of the loudest advocates for the ban.

Another building that was vandalized was the Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre.

Magistrate David Starvaggi called the incident “one of the most disgusting, vile, repugnant acts of antisemitism and racial behaviour that I have ever seen” and gave Roberts an 18-month community correction order. He said Roberts was not given a jail term only because he pleaded guilty.

Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich told the news outlet that case “sends a strong signal that our community will never tolerate such vile expressions of neo-Nazism”.