A Broadmeadows man was charged for waving a Hezbollah flag in Melbourne, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced, serving him with a notice and court summons on Thursday.
The 34-year-old is set to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on March 19 for displaying the symbol of a prohibited terrorist organization at a September 29 rally.
“The AFP is relentlessly pursuing evidence and identifying those who allegedly displayed prohibited symbols at the Melbourne protest in 2024,” AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said in a statement. “Investigators have reviewed more than 100 hours of CCTV footage, police body-worn camera footage, and vision taken at the Melbourne protest and will continue exploring every avenue to identify those involved.”
The summons was issued under Special Operation Avalite, which was formed in December in response to rising antisemitic crime in the country.
In December, the AFP charged another Melbourne area man for displaying a Hezbollah flag at the same protest.
A year in prison
The offense carries a 12-month prison maximum penalty, though future crimes may be treated harsher. On Thursday, the Australian Senate passed a bill amending hate crime laws to set the minimum and maximum penalty to a year and five years, respectively.
In January, Australia introduced legislation banning the public display of Nazi and terrorist iconography. This came three years after Hezbollah was designated a terrorist group by the country.