A man who threw his support behind neo-Nazis and made anti-Semitic comments to an Australia Day rally crowd has been reprimanded and jailed for his offensive behaviour.
Brandon Koschel marches through Sydney city center to join hundreds of other Immigration March for Australia protest.
The 34-year-old took to the stage at the end of the march and espoused neo-Nazi views before being promptly arrested by police.
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On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Downing Center Local Court for intentionally inciting hatred.
The magistrate, Sharon Freund, criticized Koschel’s 40-second speech – in which he twice called Jews the “greatest enemy” – as clearly anti-Semitic and vilifying a vulnerable community.
Offensive, offensive language was later followed by neo-Nazi symbolism, the magistrate said.
The 34-year-old ended his speech by “healing” white Australia and Thomas Sewell, the leader of Australia’s most prominent neo-Nazi group, the now defunct National Socialist Network.
He also called for the release of jailed neo-Nazi Joel Davis.
“He intended to incite hatred among the audience he was addressing,” Freund said. “He intended to incite hatred against the Jewish community and Jews in general.”
The magistrate noted that the Jewish community was particularly vulnerable after anti-Semitic attacks that culminated in the Bondi Beach massacre that claimed 15 lives during Hanukkah celebrations in December.
The mass shooting happened six weeks before Koshel took the stand, the magistrate noted.
The 34-year-old bowed his head and closed his eyes as he listened to Freund’s remarks from a cell in Shortland Prison in the Hunter Valley.
The magistrate added that it was imperative to condemn antisemitic comments of this nature made in a public forum on such an iconic national holiday.
“Inciting or generalizing hatred directed at the Jewish people … requires a clear sentencing response to convey that it will not be tolerated,” she said.
The magistrate said Koshel had shown no remorse, remorse or even insight into his crime. His sentence was reduced because of his prior conviction.
His nine-month non-parole period ends on October 25.
