New South Wales police have charged a 19-year-old woman after a Hezbollah flag was allegedly displayed at a pro-Palestine and Lebanon protest in Sydney on the weekend.
Police said on Wednesday the woman handed herself in at Kogarah police station after the force released images of her and appealed for her to come forward.
She was arrested and charged with cause public display of prohibited terrorist organisation symbol, NSW police said.
Police said the woman had been granted strict conditional bail to appear before the Downing Centre local court on Wednesday 23 October.
Police said the arrest was part of Operation Shelter, which was set up last year to monitor protest activity relating to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Victoria police said on Wednesday it had made a number of referrals to the Australian federal police relating to protests allegedly involving prohibited symbols.
Pro-Palestine rallies have expanded to include support for Lebanon, where Israeli retaliation for Hezbollah attacks has killed more than 1,000 people and wounded 6,000 more in the past two weeks, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Australia has designated Hezbollah – a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group backed by Iran – as a terrorist organisation since 2021.
NSW police announced on Tuesday night it would try to block in court two rallies planned for Sunday and Monday. The latter marks one year since the Hamas attacks on Israel.
More than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, died on 7 October 2023. Of the 250 abducted that day by Hamas, half were released during a short-lived ceasefire in November and half of the remainder are thought to be dead.
More than 41,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its ongoing retaliation – most of them civilians and many of them children.
NSW police have said protest organisers did submit the paperwork required to hold public assemblies on Sunday and Monday in Sydney but the force was not satisfied the protests could proceed safely.
The Palestine Action Group spokesperson Amal Naser has accused police of attempting to silence the group and said organisers intended to challenge any police ban.
Victoria police said on Wednesday they had no powers to halt a pro-Palestine rally planned for Melbourne this weekend.
A spokesperson said police would have a presence at the Sunday rally and the focus would be on ensuring the safety of those attending and the broader community.
“Victoria police respects the right for peaceful protest, however, any unlawful behaviour will not be tolerated,” the force said.
“Victoria police does not have the power to deny a protest from occurring, so long as it is lawful. There is no permit system for protests in Victoria.”
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, said people should not be protesting on 7 October, adding: “This is a very traumatic anniversary for all those involved in the conflict.
“Whilst everyone has a right to protest peacefully, groups should reconsider the need to protest next week in respect to the grief it will cause Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Palestinian and Lebanese communities.”
Some protesters who took part in rallies on the weekend displayed Hezbollah flags, prompting investigations by state and federal police and debate among politicians over whether laws banning the display of terrorism symbols should be strengthened.
