Australian police are investigating at least six instances of “prohibited symbols and chants” — specifically, chants and flags associated with the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah — after pro-Palestinian groups held angry protests in Melbourne and other cities on Sunday to protest the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Thousands of protesters filled the streets at these events, waving Lebanese and Palestinian flags. The yellow flag of Hezbollah, which features an arm reaching for an assault rifle, was sighted as well.
Some of the demonstrators carried framed photos of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by a precision Israeli airstrike along with much of the group’s top leadership on Saturday.
The objectionable chant was a Hezbollah slogan in Arabic that translates to: “Oh Jews, the army of Muhammad will return.” The slogan alludes to the 7th Century massacre of Jews by Islam’s Muhammad in what is now Saudi Arabia.
Hezbollah is a banned terrorist organization in Australia, as in the United States and most of Europe. Hezbollah flags, symbols, and slogans are prohibited under Australia’s federal hate speech laws, with penalties of up to 12 months in jail, if they are displayed in a manner considered threatening or intimidating to others.
Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said the display of Hezbollah flags at a protest in Melbourne was “utterly unacceptable.”
“This is driving deep grief and division here on the streets of Melbourne. I expect the police agencies to pursue this,” she said.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) asked the public for information about anyone “inciting violence or wearing prohibited symbols while calling for the destruction of any group or individuals.”
“The AFP has no tolerance for individuals who break the law and will use its extensive capability and networks to take action,” the police statement said.
The AFP added that it would be “writing to major news outlets asking for the production of video footage of protests over the weekend and protests that occur in coming days.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said “any indication” of support for a terrorist group like Hezbollah “threatens national security” and “fuels fear and division in our communities.”
“Any indication of support for a terrorist organization is unequivocally condemned,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Monday.
“There is a higher level of scrutiny if anyone is on a visa. I have made clear from day one that I will consider refusing and canceling visas for anyone who seeks to incite discord in Australia,” he added.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there were “worrying signs” of extremism in the protests over the weekend.
“We do not want people to bring radical ideologies of conflict here. Multiculturalism and social cohesion cannot be taken for granted and it’s important that we continue to stress that that is the case as we go forward as well,” he said.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton went further, demanding an emergency session to pass stronger anti-Hezbollah laws on Monday.
“There is an absolute outrage in relation to the glorification of a terrorist leader, which surely must be against the Australian law. And if it’s not, the parliament should be recalled to pass a law that prohibits that from happening,” Dutton said.
“I find it completely unacceptable that the government wouldn’t be arresting people already, or canceling visas of people who are glorifying Hezbollah and Hamas and others. They have no place in our country,” he said.
“We are the greatest country in the world and we shouldn’t be afraid to defend and protect it, if Tony Burke continues to talk a big game, that’s one thing, but he needs to follow through with it,” Dutton demanded.
“These are despicable and reprehensible acts to see people celebrating the life of a terrorist and promoting the values of a terrorist organization,” said shadow foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham.
Australian politicians have been uneasy ever since a nauseating pro-Hamas demonstration was held at the famed Sydney Opera House just days after the October 7 massacre. Government officials were excoriated for advising Jews to shelter in their homes while the streets were commandeered by pro-terrorist demonstrators.
Iranian state media applauded the Australian demonstrators for expressing their “sorrow” over the “martyrdom” of Nasrallah, whose terrorist activities were lavishly supported by the regime in Tehran.
“Demonstrators demanded an end to the violence in West Asia following a dramatic escalation in the fighting between the Israeli regime forces and Hezbollah for showing solidarity with and support to Palestinians since the Tel Aviv war machine unleashed its genocidal war against the besieged Gaza Strip in October,” Iran’s PressTV hyperventilated on Sunday.
“Very devastated, very heartbroken, just a lot of emotion and I just felt like I had to come here today to just show my solidarity and show my respects to him and what he was fighting for,” a rally protester told PressTV.
At no point did the Iranian state media outlet mention Hezbollah’s relentless missile attacks on Israeli civilians, which prompted Israel to eliminate the leadership of the Iran-backed terrorist organization.