Notorious neo-Nazi Jacob Hersant arrested for ‘grossly offensive public conduct’ after 30 men dressed in black descended on Melbourne CBD

Victoria Police want to charge notorious Australian neo-Nazi Jacob Hersant with the murder of about 30 masked men at Melbourne’s Flinders Street police station.

Officers arrested the 24-year-old North Melbourne man at the scene on Saturday, where he was questioned for “highly offensive public behaviour”.

Hersant, who in 2023 became the first man in Victoria to be charged for allegedly giving the Hitler salute in public after a tougher state law, was released on a summons and will appear in court at a later date.

He is also expected to appear in Melbourne court in September to face the 2023 charges.

Eight other men were also questioned by police for indecent behavior in a public place. They were also released in view of a summons.

Around 30 protesters dressed in black stormed the central station at around 4:10 p.m. They began chanting insults and held up a banner reading: “Mass deportation now.”

The unplanned demonstration was organised by the National Socialist Network, reportedly the largest neo-Nazi and white supremacist group in Australia.

According to Victoria Police, the group quickly dispersed when police arrived at the scene, where officers confiscated their banner and a flag.

Hersant was part of an unplanned 30-strong demonstration at Flinders Station in the CBD

“The police will assess the circumstances surrounding the demonstration and review their views on the incident and those involved,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

‘Anyone who witnessed the incident, with footage or information, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online.’

In April, Hersant and fellow neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell avoided an appeal against their sentences for an attack on a group of hikers during a protest in Cathedral Ranges State Park on May 8, 2021.

At the time, Judge Kellie Blair sentenced Sewell to 37 days in jail. However, he was allowed to walk free after the court acknowledged he had already spent more than six months in solitary confinement.

Hersant was sentenced to 200 hours of community service.

Police also spoke to eight other men for offensive behaviour in a public place

Hersant (right) became the first Victorian to be charged in 2023 for allegedly giving the Hitler salute in public

Judge Karen Emerton told the court that Judge Kellie Blair was entitled to consider the time Sewell served on remand as sufficient punishment.

She said the panel found Hersant’s sentence clearly inadequate but dismissed the appeal based on the court’s “residual discretion.”

“It would be counterproductive to send him back to prison as he was a young offender who had completed all 200 hours of community service imposed on him,” Judge Emerton said.

Hersant and Sewell were also involved in this year’s much-criticised neo-Nazi Australia Day demonstration in Sydney, where police intercepted a group of around 70 masked men at North Sydney station.