Protesters celebrate Hezbollah and Iran, mock police with terror symbols
Hardcore anti-Israel protesters have openly celebrated Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic fundamentalist regime on the eve of October 7 anniversary, and flaunted modified images of banned symbols.
Hardcore anti-Israel protesters have openly celebrated Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic fundamentalist regime in the streets on the eve of the anniversary of the October 7 massacre, and mocked police by flaunting modified images of terrorists and terror symbols.
More than 15,000 demonstrators marched through the Sydney and Melbourne CBDs on Sunday, with many displaying signs that included parts of banned symbols, silhouettes of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, comparisons between Israeli leaders and Nazi officers and images of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Police will not charge people with the signs that appeared to be modified to get around anti-terror symbol laws, but the Coalition said they could still be pursued by authorities.
It comes as the government refuses to list Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organisation despite organisers planning an “outrage” rally at a western Sydney mosque on Monday, the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s invasion of Israel.
Sydney’s Hyde Park became overrun with some 10,000 rally attendees on Sunday afternoon, after the NSW Police Force abandoned a bid to block the protest once organisers agreed to modify their march route to avoid passing the Great Synagogue on Park Street.
Earlier in the day, Police Minister Yasmin Catley said anyone caught waving banners marked with terror symbols or images of terror leaders should expect to be arrested.
Palestine Action Group organisers had also urged members not to bring Hezbollah flags, saying “we don’t want to see people getting in potentially serious legal trouble, or giving the police any reason to make arrests at the rally”.
In what appeared a blatant attempt to skirt the warnings, dozens of protesters waved banners that appeared to be very similar to the flag of the terror group. One green and gold flag – colours that represent both Australian sporting teams and Hezbollah – depicted Australian outlaw Ned Kelly holding a gun above his head.
Under the image of Kelly were the words: “The boys in green and gold will win.”
The Hezbollah flag is the same colours and has a similar fist waving a gun in the air.
The first man to appear at the protest holding the flag was quickly approached by police and PAG organisers.
“Clever, huh?” he said. “The resistance is always evolving.”
Alex, an attendee who also had the flag, told The Australian he was simply a “sporting enthusiast” who was backing “the green and gold”. “I’m just a sporting enthusiast who is supporting Ned Kelly and the boys in the green and gold,” he said.
Some attendees carried blank bright yellow flags and sported green arm and head bands, while others waved Lebanese flags that were green and gold rather than red, white and green.
In another attempt to bypass the bans on terror paraphernalia, a man brought a sign praising Russian media personality Hasbulla. The sign, which read “long live Hasbulla” also featured pictures of the personality. Next to him, an attendee held an image of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a moustache similar to that of Adolf Hitler, beneath the words “child killer”.
A woman was seen holding a sign that appeared to be the silhouette of Nasrallah. It read: “He, like his great grandfather, can rightfully say I have succeeded by the Lord of the Kaabba.”
NSW police assistant commissioner Peter McKenna said on Sunday he was “very pleased” with how the police operation surrounding the protests went, with no one being harmed.
Protesters who skirted the law and displayed posters or paraphernalia similar to Hezbollah flags would not be arrested.
“You would have heard us talk earlier in the week about it being a nuanced legislation. Parts of it are quite complex,” he said.
“We do get legal advice around that and the legal advice we’ve received at the moment is that that would not fulfil an offence.”
Opposition home affairs spokesperson James Paterson said he disagreed with the advice given to police, saying those who displayed any attributes of a terror symbol could and should be charged. “Protesters were openly mocking police today by displaying flags which closely resemble Hezbollah symbols. But the joke is on them,” he said. “The prohibited hate symbols legislation captures the logos of listed terrorist organisations and anything which resembles them. They should be charged under the law or it will continue to be flouted.”
One Sydney man was arrested on Sunday for altering the Jewish flag to replace the Star of David with a Nazi swastika. Assistant Commissioner McKenna said the 56-year-old would be charged shortly.
Four people were arrested in Melbourne for public order-related matters. Victoria Police said officers overall were “pleased with the behaviour of attendees”.
The events on Sunday will act as a precursor to further action scheduled by pro-Palestine activists on Monday, including in Lakemba where extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir is gearing up to host an “outrage” rally at a mosque. Pro-Palestine activists will also hold a candlelight vigil in the evening, despite not having protections under the Summary Offences Act. “If you come along and do the right thing, don’t commit offences, don’t obstruct people, don’t obstruct roadways … then there will be no need for us to intercede,” Assistant Commissioner McKenna said.
Protesters in Melbourne are expected to hold a vigil on Monday evening on the steps of parliament.
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