‘Wouldn’t wear it in the city’: Secretive trade in banned Hezbollah symbols

As Australian police crack down on public displays of the Hezbollah flag, a furtive online trade in the terrorist group’s symbols takes place in Instagram direct messages.

“I’ll get the plain Hezbollah logo for the iPhone cover please. Keep it simple,” one prospective customer writes.

“Ok hun,” replies the seller, a southwest Sydney woman who makes custom-printed phone cases, necklaces and other Hezbollah-branded merchandise, before sending a preview image of the $35 iPhone 16 version.

“Beautiful! So keen to have it. Do you think I’ll get it [sic] trouble having it in public?” the buyer asks.

“[Now] with that one maybe because it is stands out. But i think it should be fine,” she replies.

In separate messages, a different online seller, also based in southwest Sydney, shows off a large Hezbollah flag necklace and other items.

“They are gorgeous, I can’t wait to have them. One of the sisters told me I should be careful wearing the Hezbollah one around the city … Do you know if there’s an issue with the cops?” the buyer asks.

“I wouldn’t wear the hezb in the city,” she replies. “You can hang it at home somewhere.”

The person w...
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