A man who allegedly held up a Nazi swastika sign at a pro-Palestinian protest has been identified as prominent restaurateur Alan Yazbek.
The 56-year-old founder of Middle Eastern restaurant Nomad Sydney in Surry Hills broke his silence on Tuesday night, two days after he was accused of knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol in public.
Yazbek was photographed Sunday allegedly holding a sign made to look like the Israeli flag, but with a swastika, the Star of David in the middle and the words “Stop Nazi Israel.”
He and his wife Rebecca have run the popular Nomad restaurant for more than a decade and have expanded with two more establishments in Melbourne, one also called Nomad and the other called Reine.
‘Many of us have family in the region. Every loss of life is a tragedy. We are in mourning,” Yazbek told Daily Telegraph.
Attendees at the rally in Hyde Park, in Sydney’s CBD, had previously been warned by police about displaying symbols or flags of the Hezbollah terror group or photographs of its recently murdered leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
About 10,000 people attended the demonstration, which was mostly peaceful except for two arrests.
Along with Yazbek, Jewish Osher Feldman was arrested for alleged disorderly conduct in a separate incident.
Alan Yazbek (wearing a black cap and holding a sign) pictured Sunday in Sydney. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest wrongdoing by others in the photograph
Feldman was later released without charge.
New South Wales Police told Daily Mail Australia that ‘at around 1:20 pm (on Sunday), a 56-year-old man was arrested for allegedly displaying a swastika symbol.
“He was taken to Surry Hills Police Station where he was charged with knowingly displaying at a public event a Nazi symbol without reasonable excuse,” a spokesman said.
Despite the arrests, police were satisfied with the general behavior of the crowd estimated at 10,000 people.
“NSW Police worked closely with our partner agencies and protest organizers to execute a significant and robust policing operation across Sydney’s CBD, which evidently had a successful outcome,” Deputy Commissioner Peter McKenna said.
Yazbek (pictured) has been accused of knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol in public
Yazbek’s bail conditions prevent him from going within two kilometers of City Hall in Sydney’s central business district, except to attend his restaurant and business offices for work purposes.
He will appear at Downing Center Local Court on October 24.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Yazbek for further comment.