Complaints about racism to Equal Opportunity Tasmania have escalated over the past three years, the state's Anti-Discrimination Commissioner says.
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Sarah Bolt on Monday said race had moved from the fifth to the second most complained about attribute between 2018-19 and 2020-21.
There were 30 complaints made about race in 2020-21 which represented 10 per cent of complaints received by the commissioner.
Disability remained the attribute attached to most complaints received.
Monday marked the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination with the theme this year being 'voice for action against racism'.
Ms Bolt said racism could be delivered in many different ways, including jokes or comments that cause hurt, verbal abuse and intimidation, graffiti, and through social media posts.
"Examples of racism are seen regularly in our island state," she said.
"Racism doesn't need superheroes to prevent it. It needs everyday people to stand up to it, every day."
Hobart Hebrew Congregation president Jeff Schneider said incidences of anti-semitism had risen noticeably within the state and across the world in recent years.
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He said the rise had been particularly driven by online posts, comments and content.
"We know that there's a lot of online activity by these groups that are, for lack of a better term, alienated or isolated and that have a lot of pent up rage," Mr Scheider said. "They're looking for a scapegoat and, certainly throughout history, Jews have been viewed as a scapegoat.
"The activity of these groups is based on conspiracy theories, old stereotypes, and it's all very dangerous.
"Sometimes it's really difficult to know what to make of online remarks - whether it's somebody's just having a laugh or whether there is much more behind it."
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Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
