SYDNEY — A restaurant owner has admitted to exhibiting a Nazi emblem during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Sydney earlier this month.
Alan Yazbek was seen at the rally held on October 6 in the city’s central business area, holding a placard that altered the Star of David on the Israeli flag by replacing it with a blue swastika, along with the phrase “Stop Nazi Israel.”
The 56-year-old was also spotted with another sign featuring the green and yellow colors synonymous with Hezbollah, which is regarded as a terrorist group in Australia, stating “our boys in green and gold will win.”
This demonstration coincided with the day prior to the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks in Israel executed by Hamas.
Yazbek, who co-founded the Nomad Group that operates three upscale dining establishments in Sydney and Melbourne, was the sole individual to face charges in connection to the event, which drew an estimated crowd of 10,000 participants.
Initially, law enforcement attempted to stop the rally but later negotiated with its organizers to allow it to take place without incident.
He could potentially receive a sentence of up to a year in prison or an 11,000 Australian dollar ($7,300) penalty. Sentencing is scheduled for December 10.
The display of Nazi gestures and symbols, including the swastika, has been prohibited by various legislative measures at state and federal levels since 2022.
Jewish organizations in Australia have noted a troubling rise in anti-Semitic incidents amid the intensifying conflict in the Middle East.
Earlier in October, the head of an Australian state police force was prompted to apologize to the Jewish community after a 65-year-old police sergeant reportedly made an illegal Nazi salute during training.
In the same week, a self-identified Nazi was warned by a magistrate that he could become the first individual in Australia to serve a prison sentence for performing the same forbidden gesture.
Additionally, in June, three soccer supporters were fined for making the salute at a Sydney soccer match, marking the first convictions in Australia for such actions; they have since filed appeals against their convictions.