General news
4 April, 2025
NSW Police say no laws broken with Nazi depiction of McCormack
Riverina MP labels mural "disgraceful!"
NEW South Wales Police have confirmed they are investigating a mural displayed in the window of a Wagga Wagga shopfront that depicts Riverina MP Michael McCormack and three other prominent Australian public figures dressed in Nazi-style military uniforms.
The artwork, created by Advision, a graphic design studio based in both Wagga Wagga and Sydney, has sparked outrage and is now under police scrutiny.
The mural (depicted below), which was unveiled on Monday, 31 March, shows McCormack, along with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, mining magnates Clive Palmer and Gina Rinehart, wearing German World War II-era military uniforms, complete with Iron Cross medals and Nazi eagle emblems. The imagery has been described as deeply offensive, with McCormack calling it "beyond disgraceful."
The owner of Advision, Michael Agzarian, a former graphic design lecturer at Charles Sturt University, claimed the mural was intended as a parody of the 1960s television show "Hogan’s Heroes." However, McCormack strongly disagreed with this explanation, stating that the use of such imagery was deeply inappropriate and disrespectful, particularly considering the historical context of the Nazi regime.
In a post on his Facebook page, McCormack said: "The Nazis killed six million Jews in the Holocaust. This remains one of the worst mass murders in human history. The Nazis were pure evil. To be depicted as one of them is as insulting as it is vile." He further stated that the mural was "disgraceful" and should never have been displayed publicly. Following McCormack's complaint, NSW Police confirmed they were investigating the incident and had sought legal advice. A spokesperson from the force said that they were treating the matter seriously, and inquiries were ongoing.
In the wake of the complaint, Advision blurred McCormack’s image in the mural but left the depictions of Dutton, Rinehart, and Palmer unchanged. Despite the alteration, the mural's controversial nature remains.
This is not the first time McCormack has clashed with Advision over political imagery. In July 2024, he criticized the studio for displaying a poster mocking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which included offensive language. McCormack condemned the poster, calling it "disgracefully un-Australian" and inappropriate for public display. The incident comes amid heightened concerns about hate speech and anti-Semitism in Australia. In February 2025, the New South Wales Government passed a tougher hate crime legislation package in response to rising anti-Semitic incidents, particularly following the escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine.
Advision's mural has now become a focal point for debate on freedom of expression and the limits of political satire. As the police investigation continues, the local community and political figures are left grappling with the broader implications of such provocative imagery in the public domain.
Since the artwork was unveiled last Tuesday, NSW Police have ruled out any laws being broken after speaking to Advision staff. After seeking legal advice it was concluded that the material does not break the 80.2E Prohibited symbols under the Australian Criminal Code.
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