Man pleads guilty to displaying a Nazi symbol at pro-Palestinian rally

SYDNEY (AP) — A restaurateur has pleaded guilty to displaying a Nazi symbol during a pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney earlier in October. The 56-year-old man was photographed at the Oct. 6 rally in Sydney’s central business district holding a sign that replaced the Star of David on the Israeli flag with a blue swastika. It was accompanied by the words “Stop Nazi Israel.” The rally took place a day before the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, carried out by Hamas. Performing Nazi gestures and displaying Nazi symbols such as the swastika are banned by various state and federal laws in the country since 2022. Jewish groups in Australia have reported a significant rise in anti-Semitic actions as the conflict in the Middle East escalates.