Man charged with refusing breath test after driving with flags in Menai

A motorist charged with refusing a breath test near a southern Sydney shopping centre is now being investigated over his possession of a black flag with Arabic text on it.

A man is under investigation after he was charged for refusing a drug test while allegedly carrying a Palestinian flag and a black flag with white Arabic text.

A man who allegedly displayed a black flag with Arabic text and a Palestinian flag on his car is now under investigation by police as well as facing a charge for refusing a breath test.

Sutherland Shire police were called to a roundabout on Allison Cres in Menai near Menai Marketplace in response to a driving complaint around 4pm on Monday.

The 55-year-old driver was breath tested before police allege he refused a roadside drug test.

Images provided to the St George Shire Standard depict the man in front of a vehicle with a Palestinian flag and a black flag with white Arabic text.

The man was arrested and taken to Sutherland police station, where he was charged with refusing or failing to submit to an oral fluid test.

He was granted conditional bail to face Sutherland Local Court on December 7.

In a statement, NSW Police said: “Investigations into the flags and symbols which were allegedly displayed on the man’s vehicle are ongoing.”

Protests against the Israel-Hamas war have emerged in various forms throughout Australia and around the world since the conflict erupted in early October.