The ABC has been criticized for failing to draw the attention of pro-Palestinian protesters who were mourning the death of a leader of a listed terrorist organization.
Thousands of people took to the streets in Sydney and Melbourne on Sunday to walk in support of Palestine and Lebanon, amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Demonstrations in each city saw small groups of young people, many of them masked, waving Red and green flags of Hezbollah, a militant and political group from Lebanon, which has been classified as a terrorist organization in Australia.
Others, including adults and children, held framed photographs of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed by a Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday.
The ABC covered the pro-Palestine rally in Sydney and published a two-minute report that included protesters mourning Nasrallah’s death.
The segment did not mention how Hezbollah was listed as a terrorist organization by the Australian government.
“He was the mother, he was the father of Lebanon,” said a woman wearing a hijab.
“He gave us comfort, he gave us security and when we really needed answers we turned to him.”
The ABC has been criticized for failing to call pro-Palestinian protesters who were mourning the death of a leader of a listed terrorist organization.
Drew Pavlou, a political activist and prominent China critic, accused ABC on X of being “shamefully biased” by claiming the segment was full of “uncritical interviews.”
One social media user added: “A new low.”
“We’ve been saying defund ABC for years,” a second chimed in.
‘This is embarrassing!’ a third wrote.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted ABC for comment.
Home Secretary Tony Burke harshly criticized those who show “any indication of support” for a terrorist organization and threatened to cancel their visas.
“It draws the immediate attention of our law enforcement agencies,” Mr. Burke said.
‘There is a higher level of scrutiny if someone has a visa. “I have made it clear from day one that I will consider refusing and canceling visas to anyone seeking to incite discord in Australia,” he said.
Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia they were “aware that banned flags were seen at a demonstration in Melbourne’s CBD” on Sunday.
“Appropriate references will be made to the Australian Federal Police as the lead agency on prohibited symbols,” a spokesperson said.
The Hezbollah-supporting group was also heard chanting ‘labayka ya Nasrallah’ in Arabic, which roughly translates to ‘at your service, Nasrallah.’
Some protesters held framed photographs of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday (pictured: a protester in Melbourne).
Drew Pavlou, a political activist and prominent critic of China, described the report as “shamefully biased.”
Organizers of the Melbourne rally told AAP that the group carrying Hezbollah flags was not affiliated with those leading the rally.
Islamic community leaders also said this group was not representative of the Muslim community in Australia or the protest, which called on Israel to stop military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, where they are fighting Hezbollah.
‘They are definitely a minority. An absolute, tiny minority,” said Islamic Council of Victoria president Adel Salman. The Australian.
‘From my own experience, my knowledge of the community, there is no support for Hezbollah, there is no love for Hezbollah, at this moment, this is all about support for the Lebanese people.
Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed political party and paramilitary group in Lebanon, was listed as a terrorist organization by the Australian government in 2021.
It acknowledges that there are “no known specific threats to Australia or its interests” posed by Hezbollah.
“However, Australian interests may be harmed by future attacks,” the Australian government website states.
On Saturday, Israeli forces said Nasrallah had been killed during a massive airstrike in Beirut, reportedly using 5,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.
Organizers of the Melbourne rally said the group carrying Hezbollah flags was not affiliated with those leading the rally.
Currently, Israel is fighting on two fronts: Hamas fighters in Gaza and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Sunday reiterated her call for Australians to flee Lebanon as soon as possible and said she was concerned about the escalation of violence.
Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dr Dvir Abramovich told Daily Mail Australia the protest was a “deeply worrying display of hate”.
“Hezbollah, responsible for countless civilian deaths, has no place in a ‘peaceful’ protest,” he said.
‘The display of your flag in this demonstration is a glorification of violence and terror that undermines the values of our diverse and democratic society.
“This is not who we are as a nation and let’s not confuse freedom with the promotion of terrorism.”
“We call on all community leaders and elected officials to unequivocally denounce this act.”
He also urged authorities to investigate the incident and “take appropriate action.”
