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A gathering of neo-Nazis who celebrated Adolf Hitler's birthday at popular German beer hall with Nazi salutes and a swastika cake has sparked widespread outrage.
Shocking photos have emerged online from the recent celebrations hosted at The Hof Downtown in Melbourne.
The Docklands venue denied any knowledge of the group's reasons until after the bill was paid and that they made the booking under a fake name.
One photo shows far right-wing leader Tom Sewell, holding a photo of Adolf Hitler at the head of the table as fellow guests at the table perform Nazi salutes.
Nneo-Nazis celebrated Adolf Hitler's birthday at a German beer hall in Melbourne on April 20. Pictured at the head of the table is Tom Sewell
The photo was posted online with members' faces blurred except Sewell.
Another photo shows a cake decorated with a swastika in icing next to a framed photo of the former German dictator.
The venue has addressed the saga in a lengthy statement on its Facebook page, claiming they weren't aware of the group's intentions until the end of the evening after they paid the bill and were about to leave.
They also denied any knowledge about the cake.
'The group looked like any other group and there was nothing suspicious about it, so we first didn't think anything bad would happen,' Marcel Moodley wrote on Wednesday night.
'Later in the night the true reason for their visit got exposed.
'It is needless to say that we do not support any kind of racism and we believe that everyone who met our team and our culture would be able to sign that!
'We are gutted that this happened and sorry if this upset anyone!'
The group also posted photos of a swastika cake next to a framed photo of Adolf Hitler
The beer hall has donated its takings from the group to charity as a gesture to condemn the racist views.
Mr Moodley has taken the incident 'personally' as a non-white originally from South Africa.
'We at the HOF group condemn any form of racism, Nazism or white supremacy in any format,' Mr Moodley continued.
'We are also deeply horrified and saddened that this exists in modern day in a beautiful free country we all get to call home . We have always had an ethos of being inclusive in our establishments and will continue to support a diverse and inclusive team and community. Acts of this nature will not be tolerated.'
Anti Defamation Commission chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich has reiterated calls for the federal government to designate this group as a terrorist organisation.
'Looking at those images one could think they were taken at a tavern in Nazi Germany of the 1930s, not in Melbourne 2022,' he told Daily Mail Australia.
'These Hitler worshippers, who fantasise about a Fourth Reich and an Auschwitz in Melbourne are a growing threat to our safety, and if we don't act, it will cost lives.
'The full-throated hatred on display in these images is a reminder that neo-Nazism is alive in Victoria and should send a chill every Victorian's spine since the hateful rhetoric that these hardcore bigots are
