2 days ago
Controversial Hezbollah terror leader supporter spotted at the Harbour Bridge rally
A known terror-sympathiser was spotted marching across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in support of Palestine.
Abed Mourtada marched alongside Julian Assange near the front of the pack at Sydney's 'March for Humanity' on August 3.
The Muslim leader was seen near NSW police and state politicians in regular dress, marching in protest of Israel 's war on Gaza.
Mr Mourtada travelled to Lebanon to attend the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in February.
Nasrallah was killed in Israeli airstrikes following the October 7 Nova Music Festival attacks.
Hezbollah is a Lebanese military group which Australia lists as a terror group, and Nasrallah had gone on record calling Jews 'miserly and cowardly' in 2001.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Nasrallah was a 'terrorist' after he was killed.
Mr Mourtada was nestled amongst the WikiLeaks founder and Labor MPs Stephen Lawrence and Anthony D'Adam, as well as Greens MP Sue Higginson, were also present at the protest—none of whom have any association with him.
Mr Mourtada shared footage of the protest online along with praise (for the protesters and criticism of 'complacent governments'.
'Hopefully this could also be a message to the Arab countries abroad for them to take action, for them to make a move in their own backyard, in their own countries,' he wrote.
Australian Jewish Association chief executive Robert Gregory said Mr Mourtada's attendance was just another sign of antisemitism in the pro-Palestine community.
'The attendance of such a controversial figure, in such proximity to NSW politicians and others like Julian Assange, reveals that extreme hatred of the Jewish state has always been at the core of this rally,' Mr Gregory told the Daily Telegraph.
'The protest organisers shift their message, claiming it is about ceasefires or starvation, but in reality many have been long-time radical opponents of the world's only Jewish State, well before October 7.'
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin previously ridiculed the protest.
Mr Ryvchin criticised a judge's ruling allowing the protest to go ahead for supporting those who had 'celebrated' October 7.
