Man pleads guilty to displaying a Nazi symbol at pro-Palestinian rally

Audio By Carbonatix

SYDNEY (AP) — A restaurateur pleaded guilty Thursday to displaying a Nazi symbol during a pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney in early October.

Alan Yazbek was photographed at the Oct. 6 rally in Sydney's central business district holding a sign that replaced the Star of David on the Israeli flag with a blue swastika, accompanied by the words “Stop Nazi Israel.”

The 56-year-old Yazbek was also photographed holding another sign in the green and yellow colors associated with Hezbollah — a designated terrorist organization in Australia — with the words “our boys in green and gold will win."

The rally took place a day before the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, carried out by Hamas.

Yazbek — the co-founder of the Nomad Group, which owns three high-end restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne — was the only person charged following the rally, which saw an estimated 10,000 people in attendance. Police initially tried to prevent the rally but later reached an agreement with organizers, allowing it to proceed peacefully.

Yazbek faces a potential sentence of up to 12 months in jail or a fine of 11,000 Australian dollars ($7,300). He is due to be sentenced on Dec. 10.

Performing Nazi gestures and displaying Nazi symbols such as the swastika have been banned by various state and federal laws since 2022. Jewish groups in Australia have reported a significant rise in anti-Semitic actions as the conflict in the Middle East escalates.

Earlier in October, an Australian state police chief was compelled to apologize to the Jewish community after a 65-year-old sergeant allegedly performed an outlawed Nazi salute at a police academy. In the same week, a self-described Nazi was told by a magistrate he would become the first person in Australia sentenced to prison for performing the same banned gesture.

In June, three soccer fans were fined for performing the salute during a Sydney match. The men were the first convicted in Australia for such offenses and have lodged appeals.