For sale: Nazi memorabilia in rural NSW

Kyt · Jan 15, 2008

You Aussies know how to cause a stink :becky:

For sale: Nazi memorabilia in rural NSW (January 15, 2008)

Jewish holidaymakers venturing out of Sydney last week were shocked to discover overt Nazi memorabilia on sale at three different venues in rural New South Wales.

The BP Legends Cafe, on the Pacific Highway in Kew on the state’s mid-north coast, and Borocco Clothing in Nelson Bay, some 220 kilometres north of Sydney, were both found to be selling offensive items.

Along with Marilyn Monroe, Jim Beam and Harley Davidson memorabilia, shoppers at the BP Legends Cafe were confronted with swastikas, Nazi flags and other hate items, all forming part of what the cafe’s website terms “interesting” collectables and memorabilia.

The discovery of these items was reported to the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, whose CEO, Vic Alhadeff, took immediate action.

The proprietor of the cafe – who would not return The AJN’s calls – informed Alhadeff that the swastikas were “not in full view of the general public, but were in cabinets”.

He said that it is mostly bikies who purchase the swastikas, adding that he has been selling them for years and that he harbours no bias towards any group. He said he would continue to offer the memorabilia for sale.

“I pointed out that it sends a very unfortunate and dangerous message for people to be openly displaying Nazi insignia, given what the Nazis stood for and given that Australia fought against the Nazis,” Alhadeff said.

“He replied that he has to cater for the whole public and also sells Japanese flags [against whom Australia fought in the war] and didn’t see any difference.”

BP spokesperson Chandran Vigneswaran said the company was unaware that a cafe bearing the company’s trademark was selling items of this kind.

“I’m sure if we were aware of it, we would not be too happy about it,” he said, before explaining that only 230 of the 1400 BP-branded service stations are actually operated and managed by BP. Legends Cafe is not one of these.

Vigneswaran had not yet been able to confirm the nature of the products being sold, but added that if it were found that the independent owner and operator of the site had indeed been selling offending merchandise, BP would take “immediate and severe action”.

In Nelson Bay, Borocco Clothing’s otherwise innocuous range includes T-shirts sporting a huge swastika and the title Adolf Hitler. T-shirts like these featured previously at Australian Fashion Week in 2002, by clothing label “How’s Ya Father”. Borocco’s owner was unavailable for comment.

The Board of Deputies has received numerous complaints over the years concerning bikies entering RSL clubs wearing swastikas, according to Alhadeff.

“It is of great concern that Nazi regalia regularly appear on clothes racks and on shelves of cafes as if they were no more harmful than a Simpsons icon. At the end of the day, it’s about education. People need to be aware that the Nazi symbol represents the worst case of racial hatred and genocide in history,” said Alhadeff.

Meanwhile David Halperin, president of Melbourne’s Yidden On Wheels (YOW), said that on a recent ride to Sydney he came across another a store selling Nazi memorabilia.

“That type of disgraceful memorabilia is concerning,” he said.
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Antipodean Andy · May 5, 2008

also sells Japanese flags [against whom Australia fought in the war]
Click to expand...

I like how the author has to clarify this.

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For sale: Nazi memorabilia in rural NSW

Kyt Άρης

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