A young Australian has criticized protesters waving Hezbollah flags at pro-Palestinian demonstrations around the world, accusing them of glorifying a terrorist organization.
Thousands of people marched over the weekend to protest the mass killing of civilians in Gaza and Israel’s bombing of Lebanon, with some carrying the flag of Hezbollah and photographs of its slain leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday, amid escalating tensions in the region.
Conservative commentator Carla Efstratiou harshly criticized the protesters in a video posted on social media.
“Does anyone find it a little strange that people in the West now openly and proudly support terrorist organizations?” Ms. Efstratiou said.
“Instead of celebrating his death because, well, he’s a terrorist, the people of Sydney marched in his honor to defend him.”
He highlighted a sign from a protester that read: ‘The Lebanese Hezbollah resistance is a beacon of hope for the entire world.
‘This is a terrorist organization. “They do the same with Hamas,” he said.
Conservative commentator Carla Efstratiou accused protesters of glorifying a terrorist organization after they were seen waving Hezbollah flags at a pro-Palestinian rally.
‘We see this all over the world. “People, usually university students, glorify this terrorist organization that does drastic things,” he added.
‘Imagine if after the two planes blew up the twin towers, people were defending Osama Bin Laden and Al Queda.
“That spectacle would be unheard of, but now we have people saying how great this Hezbollah leader is. What is happening and why is no one questioning it?
The Islamic Council of Victoria blamed a small number of people for Hezbollah flags, saying the community’s focus was on escalating violence in Gaza and Lebanon.
“It has been made clear that Hezbollah flags are not welcome and should not be brought,” said the group’s president, Adel Salman.
However, the fixation on flags served as a “convenient distraction” from violence in the Middle East, Australian Palestine Defense Network president Nasser Mashni said.
“It is a national shame that condemning a flag has become easier than facing the brutal reality of a rogue state trying to annihilate an entire population.”
Protesters were seen holding up framed photographs of recently slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, while others waved the group’s flag.
Australian Jewry Executive Council co-leader Alex Ryvchin called it “disgusting to see other Australians on our streets mourning the death of this terrorist kingpin.”
The protests went beyond concerns about the loss of life and the future of Lebanon and turned toward “active, open and targeted support for Hezbollah” against which police needed to take action, Ryvchin said Monday.
Political leaders have also expressed concern about the flames of social conflict being fanned by protest actions.
“We don’t want people to bring radical ideologies and conflict here; our multiculturalism and social cohesion cannot be taken for granted,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said ahead of a cabinet meeting in Canberra on Monday.