Protesters who displayed signs of support for Hezbollah, including carrying portraits of its slain chief Hassan Nasrallah, could escape prosecution or deportation, experts said, amid a political uproar over whether police are enforcing laws to stop hate speech.

The Australian Federal Police acknowledged on Monday that simply displaying a terror group’s flag did not meet the threshold for an offence, as Victoria Police prepared to refer at least six possible breaches of laws banning hate symbols and chants following a pro-Palestine protest in Melbourne on Sunday. The Australian government considers Hezbollah a terrorist organisation.