Restaurateur Alan Yazbek has pleaded guilty to knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol in public at a pro-Palestine rally in Sydney’s CBD earlier this month.
The 56-year-old appeared before Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday after he was arrested for holding a sign with a swastika on October 6.
Restaurant owner Al Yazbek arrives at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
Yazbek was photographed at the rally holding a poster that replaced the star of David on the Israeli flag with a swastika and compared Israel to Nazis.
He was also photographed holding a sign in the colours associated with Hezbollah, which has been designated a terrorist group in Australia. The sign read “our boys in green and gold will win”.
Alan Yazbek at the pro-Palestine rally in Sydney.Credit: Facebook
Yazbek’s barrister Phillip English told the court the case had “generated significant media attention”, and tendered a bundle of documents on behalf of his client including emails received.
He asked for the matter to proceed to sentence later on Thursday. However, magistrate Mark Whelan said he had “no capacity” and it was “not a matter than can be done on the run”.
Yazbek’s appearance in court comes a day after he stepped down as co-director of the Nomad restaurant group. His wife and co-director Rebecca Yazbek said she was “furious with his actions and heartbroken by the harm they caused”. She did not attend her husband’s court appearance.
In a statement addressed to guests, staff and suppliers, she wrote, “we deeply regret the impact his actions have had on the community, and for that, we sincerely apologise”.
