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 eatery Nomad Sydney in Surry Hills broke his silence on Tuesday night- two days after he was been charged with knowingly display a Nazi symbol in public.
Yazbek was pictured on 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 outlets in Melbourne, one also called Nomad and the other called Reine.
‘So many of us have family in the region. Every loss of life is a tragedy. We’re in mourning,’ Yazbek told the Daily Telegraph.
Those attending the rally in Hyde Park in Sydney’s CBD had earlier been warned by the police about displaying symbols or flags of the Hezbollah terror group or photos of its recently assassinated leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Around 10,000 people attended the rally, which was mostly peacefully apart from two arrests.
Along with Yazbek, Jewish man Osher Feldman was detained for allegedly breaching the peace in a separate incident.
Alan Yazbek (wearing a black cap and holding a sign) is pictured at Sunday’s protest in Sydney. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest wrongdoing by others in the photograph
Mr Feldman was later released without charge.
NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia that at ‘about 1.20pm (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 display by public act Nazi symbol without reasonable excuse,’ a spokesperson said.
Despite the arrests, police were pleased with overall behaviour from the estimated crowd of 10,000.
‘The NSW Police worked closely with our partner agencies and protest organisers to execute a significant and robust police operation across the Sydney CBD, which evidently had a successful outcome,’ Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said.
Yazbek (pictured) has been charged with knowingly display a Nazi symbol in public
Yazbek’s bail conditions bar him from going within two kilometres of Town Hall in Sydney’s CBD, except to attend his restaurant and business offices for work.
He will appear in Downing Centre Local Court on October 24.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Yazbek for further comment.
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