Nazi swastika displayed at Melbourne Palestine Nakba rally
- Hge News
- May 18
- 2 min read
A sign bearing a Nazi swastika was sighted at a “Nakba” rally in Melbourne on Sunday in an apparent affront to state laws banning Nazi symbols from public display.
The sign, which appeared at the rally marking the displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948,
shows a red swastika imprinted against the Israeli flag, with the words “Zionism” at the top of the sign and “Nazism” on the bottom.
The man holding up the poster wears a jacket, cap and a keffiyeh scarf, a widely-adopted symbol of Palestinian resistance against Israel.
Victoria has outlawed the display of Nazi symbols, which embody German dictator Adolf Hitler’s war machine and the slaughter of six millions Jews in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s.
Victorian Police has confirmed with NewsWire it is investigating an “an offensive sign” sighted at the State Library shortly after midday.
“No arrests were made however police have been made aware an offensive sign was sighted at the State Library shortly after midday,” a police spokeswoman said.
“Police will assess the image against state legislation to determine if an offence has been committed.
“Depending on the assessment a referral may also be made to AFP for further investigation.”
About 2000 protesters took to the streets across Melbourne for the May 18 rally.
The Arabic word “nakba” translates to “catastrophe” and is associated with widespread fury in the Arab world over the displacement of more than 700,000 Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
In Melbourne, the protesters gathered in the CBD before marching to Catani Gardens in St Kilda via the US consulate.
Other signs as the rally read: “Israel kills one child every 10 minutes” and “Free Palestine: From the river to the sea”.
Comments