Young Aussie says what many are thinking about Hezbollah flag-waving protesters

A young Aussie has called out protesters waving Hezbollah flags at a pro-Palestine rallies around the world, accusing them of glorifying a terrorist organisation.

Thousands marched on the weekend to protest Israel’s mass killing of civilians in Gaza and bombing of Lebanon, with some carrying the Hezbollah flag and photos of its killed leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Nasrallah was killed by an Israeli air strike on Friday, amid escalating tensions in the region.

Conservative commentator Carla Efstratiou slammed the protesters in a video posted to social media.

‘Does anyone find it a bit strange that people in the West are now outwardly and very proudly supporting terrorist organisations?,’ Ms Efstratiou said.

‘Instead of celebrating his death because, well, he’s a terrorist, people in Sydney marched in his honour to defend him.’

She highlighted a sign from a protester that said: ‘The Lebanese resistance by Hezbollah is a beacon of hope for the entire world.

‘This is a terrorist organisation. They do the same with Hamas,’ she said.

‘We see this all across the world. People, usually university students, are glorifying this terrorist organisation who do drastic things,’ she added. 

‘Imagine if after the twin towers were blown up by the two planes, people were defending Osama Bin Laden and Al Queda.

‘That sight would be unheard of, but now we’ve got people saying how great this Hezbollah leader is. What’s going on, and why is no one questioning it?’

The Islamic Council of Victoria blamed a small number of people for the Hezbollah flags, saying the community’s focus was on the escalation of violence in Gaza and Lebanon.

‘It has been made clear that Hezbollah flags are not welcome and should not be brought,’ the group’s president Adel Salman said.

However fixating on flags served as a ‘convenient distraction’ from violence in the Middle East, Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni said. 

‘It’s a national disgrace that condemning a flag has become easier than confronting the brutal reality of a rogue state intent on annihilating an entire population.’ 

Protesters were seen holding aloft framed photos of recently killed Hezbollah boss Hassan Nasrallah, while others were seen waving the group’s flag

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-leader Alex Ryvchin called it ‘sickening to see fellow Australians on our streets mourning the death of this terrorist kingpin’. 

The protests went beyond concerns about the loss of life and future of Lebanon and veered into ‘active, open, specific support for Hezbollah’ which police needed to take action against, Mr Ryvchin said on Monday. 

Political leaders have also expressed concern over the flames of social conflict being fanned by protest actions. 

‘We do not 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.