Men charged after alleged display of swastika flag

Two men have been charged after the alleged display of a flag emblazoned with a swastika less than 150 metres from the Sydney Jewish Museum.

Police were called to Darlo Bar on Liverpool Street in Kings Cross about 4.30pm on Thursday after reports a man was displaying a flag with the Nazi symbol.

A short time later, a 51-year-old man and another man – aged 44 – were arrested nearby and taken to Kings Cross Police Station, NSW Police said.

Darlo Bar is less than 150 metres from the Sydney Jewish Museum.

The flag and several electronic devices were seized by police.

Both men were charged with “knowingly display by public act Nazi symbol without excuse”, police said in a statement early on Friday morning.

The men were refused bail to appear before Downing Centre Local Court on Friday.

The arrests come after the state government announced a suite of policies, including the creation of a new criminal offence for intentionally inciting racial hatred, strengthening protections for places of worship and amending existing laws to create an aggravated offence for placing graffiti on these sites.

Premier Chris Minns will introduce the bolstered hate speech laws once parliament resumes.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said reports of the incident were “deeply troubling”.