Restaurateur charged with Nazi sign at pro-Palestinian rally

A leading restaurateur — who owns two celebrated Melbourne eateries — has been charged with holding up a Nazi swastika sign at a pro-Palestinian rally.

A leading restaurateur — who owns two celebrated Melbourne eateries – has been charged with holding up a Nazi swastika sign at a pro-Palestinian rally.

Alan Yazbek, 56, was charged after allegedly holding aloft a sign that read “Stop Nazi Israel” and had the Star of David in the ­centre of the Israeli flag replaced with the swastika.

Yazbek and wife Rebecca operate Nomad in Flinders Lane and Reine & La Rue on the ­corner of Queen and Collins streets.

Reine and La Rue in Collins St. Picture: Instagram

Nomad in Flinders Lane. Picture: Ian Currie

He was charged with knowingly display a Nazi symbol in public in Sydney.

NSW Police had warned protesters ahead of the sanctioned event about displaying symbols or flags with links to Hezbollah or photos of the groups recently assassinated leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Yazbek and wife Rebecca have run Nomad in Sydney’s Surry Hills for more than a decade. Yazbek burst on to the food map after he founded Asian fusion spot Toko with his brother Matthew, only for that relationship to spectacularly sour.

Yazbek, pictured at Sunday’s protest holding the alleged sign. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by others in the photograph. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw

On Sunday, Yazbek was one of an estimated 10,000 people to march through the streets of the Sydney CBD at the peaceful pro-Palestinian event.

In a statement, Yazbek said: “So many of us have family in the region. Every loss of life is a tragedy. We’re in mourning.”

After having his sign taken off him and being placed under arrest, Yazbek was taken to Surry Hills Police Station where he was charged and granted police bail, prohibiting him from going within 2km of Sydney’s Town Hall, except to attend his restaurant and offices.

Yazbek will face court on October 24.

Al Yazbek at Toko restaurant on Oxford St, Paddington.

Originally published as Restaurateur charged with Nazi sign at pro-Palestinian rally