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Tens of thousands of people have taken part in rival rallies supporting Palestine and Israel in Sydney and Melbourne on Sunday, as Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said ‘Jewish Australians have never felt less safe’.
In Melbourne, more than 50,000 pro-Palestinian protesters brought the city centre to a standstill in one of the biggest demonstration since the Gaza conflict erupted after Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.
As they marched to the State Library, many chanted ‘Out, out, Israel out’ and ‘Free, free Palestine.’
In Sydney, thousands of pro-Palestine supporters engulfed the CBD to protest at Hyde Park.
Earlier on Sunday, a crowd of around 5,000 gathered in Moore Park in Sydney’s inner east to march the Jewish hostages kidnapped on October 7 be freed.
A crowd of around 5,000 gathered in Moore Park in Sydney’s inner east to march the Jewish hostages kidnapped on October 7 be freed
The ‘Set them free rally’ including relatives of hostages who have not been heard from.
The ‘solidarity vigil’ was held to honour the victims from Israel and more than 40 other countries whose nationals were ‘murdered, injured or taken hostage by Hamas’.
‘We are together, one people, with one mission and one destiny,’ said Alex Ryvchin of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.
‘And we stand here today, with our fellow Australians, with clarity in our minds and hope in our hearts.
‘Hope for the swift and complete victory of the heroic forces of the IDF, may they be blessed.
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‘Hope for the safe rescue of every hostage. Hope for the complete destruction of Hamas and hope for an era of peace for the land of Israel.’
One of those attending Melbourne’s pro-Palestine rally was Palestinian-Australian businessman Hash Tayeh, who renewed his call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
‘In the past few weeks as I called for peace and ceasefire … my business became a target,’ he said.
‘In a cruel act of arson our store was reduced to ashes. To those who sought to silence us I say you will not succeed.’
The Caulfield branch of Mr Tayeh’s Burgertory restaurant in Melbourne’s south-east burned down at about 4am on Friday.
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Mr Marles condemned protests in Caulfield, where pro-Israel and pro-Palestine groups faced off on Friday.
Pro-Palestine protesters (pictured) held a rally at Port Botany in Sydney on Saturday
The clash sparked the evacuation of a nearby synagogue, which protest organisers have apologised for.
He said people in Australia deserved to have a right to feel safe and denounced anti-Semitism.
‘This demonstration on behalf of Palestine in the heart of the Jewish community was unacceptable.
‘Right now, Jewish Australians have never felt less safe, and this is a real problem and we need to be moving to fix that.’
More to come…
