Young children were led in offensive anti-Israel chants at a rally in Sydney on Sunday where a man was arrested after allegedly brandishing a placard emblazoned with a nazi swastika.
The man, 56, was taken into custody at the pro-Palestine protest over the sign that read: “Stop Nazi Israel.” He has been charged with displaying a nazi symbol in public. The offence is punishable by up to 12 months jail and an $11,000 fine.
And in a video, a group of young kids are led in a chant of “How many kids have you killed today?” by adults who punch the air as they shout.
At protests in Sydney and Melbourne last week the yellow and green flags of terror group Hezbollah were prominent, with a 19-year-old woman charged in NSW over the public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol. There were none of those flags this week, but there were banners bearing a resemblance thanks to their colours.
One person was seen clutching one such flag showing Ned Kelly holding a rifle above the words “our boys in green and gold will win”.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said legal advice given to police was that these flags were not a breach of the “nuanced legislation”.
He had said before the rally that “action will be taken” against anyone seen carrying Hezbollah-related material, including pictures of its slain leader Hassan Nasrallah.
In general, Mr McKenna said the crowd of 10,000 protesters were “well behaved” and police were “very happy”.
Meanwhile in Melbourne, about 7000 protesters turned out for a rally that ended outside Flinders Street station. The rally went ahead despite warnings from police and politicians regarding the sensitivity of the date.
Four people were arrested for public order-related matters.
“Overall, police were pleased with the behaviour of attendees,” a police spokesperson said.
“There were no displays of prohibited symbols.”
However, one protester held up a banner with an Israeli flag mocked-up in the style of a swastika.
“The irony of becoming what you once hated,” it read.
At a pro-Palestine rally in Perth on Saturday a woman was spotted carrying a placard featuring the terror chief’s image and praising him.
She had her sign confiscated by police but was not arrested.
WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam said on Sunday the woman should have been detained. “There must be a zero-tolerance approach to protesters that are giving a voice to terrorist regimes,” she said.
