Protesters have marched through Australian capitals, waving Hezbollah flags and carrying photos of the organization’s recently murdered leader.
Thousands took to the streets in Sydney and Melbourne on Sunday to show support for Palestine and Lebanon amid the conflict in the Middle East.
Small groups of young men, many masked, were seen at the rallies in each city walking with the red and green flags of Hezbollah, a militant and political group originating from Lebanon, listed as a terrorist organization in Australia.
Others, including both adults and children, held framed photos of Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by a Israeli air raid last night.
Liberal Senator James Patterson said the sight of Hezbollah flags at rallies in Melbourne and Sydney was “disturbing” as the organization has been designated a terrorist organization by Australia.
Muslim community leaders also said the group was not representative of Australia’s Muslim community or the protest, which called on Israel to halt military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, where they are fighting Hezbollah.
“They are definitely a minority. An absolute, tiny minority,” Islamic Council of Victoria President Adel Salman said The Australian.
“For my own experience, my knowledge of the community: there is no support for Hezbollah, no love for Hezbollah. Right now it’s all about support for the Lebanese people.
“The community is concerned about the escalating violence, but our concern is mainly about what is happening in Palestine, in Gaza, which is still the main focus of the community.
‘And we must be careful not to reduce the battle to a battle between Hezbollah and Israel. In fact, this is an attack on Lebanon, which is a sovereign country… and the people are angry.”
Hezbollah’s yellow and green flag could also be seen as protesters waved in Melbourne
Home Secretary Tony Burke slammed those who gave “any show of support” to a terrorist organization and threatened to have their visas revoked.
‘It attracts the immediate attention of our security services. There are stricter checks on whether someone has a visa. “I have made it clear from day one that I will consider refusing and revoking visas for anyone who seeks to stir up discord in Australia,” he said.
Israeli forces said Nasrallah was killed overnight in a massive airstrike on Beirut that reportedly used 5,000-pound bunker bombs.
Israel is currently fighting on two fronts: the Hamas fighters in Gaza and the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Sunday reiterated her call for Australians to flee Lebanon as quickly as possible, saying she was concerned about escalating violence.