A Perth man has become the first person charged under Western Australia’s new “Nazi hate symbols” laws after allegedly performing a Nazi salute during a livestream and posting a clip on social media platform X.
Samuel Croll, 20, was arrested at about 3pm on June 6 after armed police from the State Security Investigation Group broke down the door to his home and executed a search warrant.
He was then charged with “conduct intended to incite racial animosity or racist harassment” and “make Nazi gesture in a public place” and released on bail. The Nazi gesture charge is punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment, while the racial vilification charge carries a possible 14-year prison term.
Police allege Mr Croll made the political gesture during a conversation on chat platform Omegle that was streamed to live video website GoyimTV via his channel WTWannabe.
During the stream Mr Croll allegedly engaged with a UK-based Zionist Jewish influencer who runs accounts named Israel Advocacy Movement on multiple social media platforms where he posts conversations and debates about politics and religion, and has hundreds of thousands of followers.
Police allege Mr Croll was wearing a fake “Hitler moustache”, raised his arm at a 45-degree angle, yelled “White power” and began a verbal tirade about Jews during the Omegle chat with the @israel_advocacy account.
On June 4 Mr Croll allegedly posted a 20 second clip of the stream on his public X account, which had been watched 78 times by members of the public by the time police first viewed it on June 6 and captured it as evidence.
During the raid of Mr Croll’s home that same afternoon police allegedly seized electronic devices, a white button-up shirt, a blue Eureka flag and a small piece of black tape he allegedly used to make his “Hitler moustache”.
Mr Croll has since started a GiveSendGo to raise funds for his legal defence where he described the charges as “lawfare against political comedy and political expression”.
“I was having a nap and woke up to having rifles pointed at me, thrown out of bed, cuffed, then a search warrant was executed where all my electronic devices were seized,” he wrote.
“Sounds like I must be a big time criminal, right? Nope. I was accused of posting a ‘racist’ video on Twitter.”
Noticer News understands Mr Croll intends to fight the charges.
WA’s “Nazi hate symbols” ban came into effect in March after passing parliament in September last year.
“We are fortunate to live in an ethnically diverse state – a community where vilification and hate crimes have no place,” Labor Premier Roger Cook said after introducing the legislation.
“The display of Nazi symbols is offensive to most people, particularly to the Jewish community, survivors of the Holocaust and their families, and those who have fought against fascism.
“These laws will help to keep our community inclusive, fair and harmonious.”
Mr Croll’s charges come after nationalist activist Jacob Hersant last year became the first person to be charged and convicted under similar new laws passed in Victoria, but is appealing his one-month jail sentence on the grounds that the laws violate his implied right to political expression under the constitution.
Two months later a Victoria Police officer who was accused of making Nazi salutes and saying “Heil Hitler” at the police academy escaped without charge.
Mr Croll will face court again on July 4.
Header image: Samuel Croll (GiveSendGo).
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