A young woman in designer sunglasses has been arrested as part of a police investigation into the display of Hezbollah flags at a pro-Palestine rally in the Sydney CBD last weekend.
As many as 30,000 demonstrators marched in Sydney while thousands more took to the streets in Melbourne to walk in support of Palestine and Lebanon on Sunday.
Several were seen waving the yellow flag of Hezbollah, a militant and political group hailing from Lebanon that has been listed as a terrorist organisation in Australia, as well as photos of its slain leader Hassan Nasrallah.
NSW Police released a photo of a 19-year-old on Wednesday who they believed could assist them with their inquiries into the display of ‘prohibited symbols’, and she later presented herself to Kogarah Police Station where she was arrested.
Pictures of the glamorous woman with a high ponytail and wearing a black top and black, square-framed sunglasses perched on her head were released by NSW Police as part of their investigation into the public order incident in Sydney last Sunday
Thousands of protestors took to the streets in both Sydney and Melbourne on Sunday to walk in support of Palestine and Lebanon, with larger-than-normal turn-outs as a result of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli air raid in southern Beirut last Friday
Liberal Senator James Patterson said the sight of Hezbollah flags at the rallies in Melbourne and Sydney was ‘disturbing’ given the group is designated by Australia as a terrorist organisation.
‘This is a clear contravention of 80.2HA of the Commonwealth Criminal Code. It’s time for police to enforce the law,’ he tweeted.
Displays of flags representing a listed terrorist organisation is a prohibited offence and was widely condemned by politicians, police and Jewish organisations.
The appeal came as a young Australian Jew exposed the level of abuse he had received when becoming caught up in the protests on Sunday – and the vile insult that was hurled at him.
Sydney resident Adam Lippmann, a 38-year-old Australian Jew of Iraqi descent, has spoken about his fear after he claims he was ‘exposed and targeted’ while watching the rally over the weekend.
Mr Lippmann told The Australian newspaper he was abused as a ‘Zionist f****t’ and had his phone thrown on to the light rail tracks during the Sydney protest.
He said he had been at Woolworths Town Hall on Sunday afternoon buying bananas when he noticed the marchers carrying Hezbollah flags and portraits of Nasrallah.
Mr Lippmann said he took photos of the protest as marchers made their way past when one man carrying a Nasrallah portrait among a small group of male protestors about 15-20 in number spotted him.
‘He came up to me and he just said ‘We all know who you are. You’re a f***ing Zionist f****t. You’re a f***ing Zionist, get the f*** out of here.
‘He spotted me from a distance and picked this fight of anti-Semitic, homophobic abuse.’
Mr Lippmann said another young man then grabbed his phone and threw it on the tram tracks.
Small groups of young men, many masked, were seen at the rallies in each city waving the red and green flags of Hezbollah, a militant and political group hailing from Lebanon that has been listed as a terrorist organisation in Australia
He claims that when he approached police attending the rally and told them he had photos and audio of what happened, he was told they could not help because they were merely there ‘to ensure it’s a peaceful protest’.
Mr Lippmann later filed a police report at a nearby station.
‘The city is not a safe place for Jews,’ he told the publication. ‘Police policy is not sufficient to protect Jews.’
Protests in support of Palestinians have now been held on the streets of Australian cities for nearly 50 weeks since Israel’s military retaliation to the the October 7 attacks by Hamas on its territory and the taking of Israeli hostages.
Yesterday NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb applied to the NSW Supreme Court to stop a planned pro-Palestine protest on Monday, October 7 over concerns it could glorify the attacks on their anniversary and create civil unrest.
In a statement NSW Police said it ‘recognises and supports the rights of individuals and groups to exercise their rights of free speech and peaceful assembly’ but that ‘the safety of the participants and the wider community’ was its top priority.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also weighed in on the planned protest for the first anniversary of October 7.
‘There certainly shouldn’t be any protests on October 7 because it would be seen as incredibly provocative. It would not advance any cause. It would cause a great deal of distress,’ he said.
Palestine Action Group organiser Damian Ridgwell told the Sydney Morning Herald the police application to prevent the protest was an ‘attack on fundamental democratic rights’.
‘We intend on defending our right to protest and are determined to continue standing for justice for Palestine and Lebanon,’ Ridgwell said.
The display of Hezbollah flags in Sydney and Melbourne has been referred to the Australian Federal Police for possible criminal penalties.
AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw described the displays as ‘un-Australian’ and an offence under Federal law.
‘If they are flying those flags, in particular the Hezbollah and Hamas flags, action will be taken,’ Commissioner Kershaw said.
Anyone who can identify the woman sought by NSW Police for questioning, or provide information that may assist, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
