The ABC has been slammed for failing to call out pro-Palestine demonstrators who were mourning the death of the leader of proscribed terrorist group.
Thousands took to the streets in Sydney and Melbourne on Sunday to march in support of Palestine and Lebanon, amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Among the protesters were groups of young men, many masked, waving the red and green flags of Hezbollah, a political group from Lebanon which has been listed by Australian authorities as a terrorist organisation.
Some protesters held framed photos of Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by an Israeli air strike in Beirut on Friday.
The ABC’s two-minute-long report on the pro-Palestine rally in Sydney failed to mention the support for Nasrallah and Hezbollah.
‘He was the mother, he was the father of Lebanon,’ one woman, who was wearing a hijab, said.
‘He brought comfort, he brought security, when we really wanted answers we turned to him.’
Drew Pavlou, a political activist and prominent critic of China, accused the ABC on X of being ’embarrassingly biased’ in airing ‘uncritical interviews’.
ABC reporter Brianna Parkins described the protest as ‘peaceful’ and ‘passionate’
One social media user added: ‘A new low’.
‘We’ve been saying defund the ABC for ages,’ a second chimed in.
‘This is disgraceful!’ a third wrote.
Daily Mail Australia contacted the ABC for comment.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke blasted those showing ‘any indication of support’ for a terrorist organisation, and threatened to cancel their visas.
‘It draws the immediate attention of our security agencies,’ Mr Burke said.
‘There is a higher level of scrutiny if anyone is on a visa. I have made clear from day one, that I will consider refusing and cancelling visas for anyone who seeks to incite discord in Australia,’ he said.
Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia they were ‘aware prohibited flags were seen at a demonstration in the Melbourne CBD’ on Sunday.
‘Appropriate referrals will be made to Australian Federal Police as the lead agency concerning prohibited symbols,’ a spokesperson said.
The group supporting Hezbollah were also heard chanting ‘labayka ya Nasrallah’ in Arabic, which translates roughly to ‘at your service, Nasrallah’.
Rally organisers in Melbourne told AAP the group carrying Hezbollah flags was not affiliated with those running the demonstration.
Islamic community leaders also said this group was not representative of the Muslim community in Australia or the protest, which was calling for Israel to stop military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, where they are fighting Hezbollah.
‘They are definitely a minority. An absolute, tiny minority,’ Islamic Council of Victoria’s president Adel Salman told The Australian.
‘For my own experience, my knowledge of the community, there is no support of Hezbollah, no love of Hezbollah, right now, this is all about support for the Lebanese people.’
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed political party and paramilitary group, was listed as a terrorist organisation by the Australian government in 2021 but does have widespread support in Lebanon.
It acknowledges that there are ‘no known specific threats to Australia or Australian interests’ posed by Hezbollah.
‘However, it is possible that Australian interests could be harmed by future attacks,’ the Australian government website states.
On Saturday, Israeli forces said Nasrallah had been killed during a massive air strike on Beirut, reportedly using 5,000-pound bunker-busting bombs.
Israel is currently fighting on two fronts, with the Hamas fighters in Gaza and the Iranian backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Sunday reiterated her call for Australians to flee Lebanon as soon as they can and said she was concerned about escalating violence.
Anti-Defamation Commission chairman and Jewish community leader Dr Dvir Abramovich told Daily Mail Australia the protest was a ‘deeply troubling display of hate’.
‘Hezbollah, responsible for countless civilian deaths has no place in “peaceful” protest,’ he said.
‘The display of their flag at 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 terror.’
‘We call on all community leaders and elected officials to unequivocally denounce this act.’
He also urged law enforcement to investigate the incident and ‘take appropriate action’.
