A racist banner displayed by neo-Nazis in Melbourne has been condemned as "cowardly" by Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan.
The group, reportedly organised by the extreme-right National Socialist Network, gathered at Northland Shopping Centre in Preston at approximately 3:30 am on June 1 to display the offensive banner.
Dressed in black and with their faces covered, the individuals were photographed beneath the shopping centre's entrance.
National Indigenous Times has chosen not to publish the wording on the explicitly racist banner, which appeared at the site of an alleged brawl involving "rival youth gangs" last month.
Premier Allan condemned the group and their actions in strong terms.
"This is disgusting behaviour by a group of cowards who seek to do nothing more than intimidate and spread hatred — we will not stand for it," she said, as reported by Guardian Australia.
"I strongly condemn this hateful, extremist behaviour and it has no place here in Victoria."
Victoria Police confirmed to National Indigenous Times that they are "aware of an incident involving an offensive banner," believed to have been displayed at 3:30 am.
"An investigation into the incident is underway," a police spokesperson said.
"There is absolutely no place for antisemitic, racist or hate-based behaviour in our society and police will not tolerate such activity."
Premier Allan noted the state government has passed new legislation expanding police powers to tackle hate speech and extremist activity, including laws banning Nazi symbols and gestures.
"Now we are unmasking Nazis through our protest laws, and we are making it impossible for them to function by putting their vilifying threats and incitements in the Crimes Act — where they belong," she said.
A spokesperson for Vicinity Centres, which manages Northland, told National Indigenous Times: "We understand that a group briefly gathered outside the closed centre in the early hours of Sunday morning, well outside trading hours. Security informed police immediately. Vicinity strongly condemns any behaviour that incites division or violence within our community. Such actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
In April, alleged Neo Nazi's booed a Welcome to Country performed by Bunurong Elder Uncle Mark Brown at the Anzac Day Ceremony in Naarm.
At a January 26 rally in Adelaide, 15 men and a youth from across the country -all of them National Socialist Network (NSN) members - were arrested and charged with various offences, including failing to cease loitering, possessing articles of disguise, hindering and resisting arrest.
