Police formed a ring of steel around the Sydney Opera House this evening as hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside to demonstrate against the iconic building’s sails being lit up in support of Israel.
The rally, organised by the Palestine Action Group Sydney, saw vast numbers of pro-Palestine activists gather at Town Hall in Sydney’s CBD before marching on the Opera House.
There were scenes of chaos as the demonstrators lit up flares and cops lined up to stop them approaching the building.
The sails are set to be lit up blue and white in support of Israel, which came under attack from Hamas over the weekend. The death toll from this new war is already well above 1,100.
The rally, organised by the Palestine Action Group Sydney, saw vast numbers of pro-Palestine activists gather at Town Hall in Sydney’s CBD before marching on the Opera House
Police formed a ring of steel around the Sydney Opera House
A man has been arrested by NSW Police at a pro-Palestine rally at Sydney’s Town Hall (pictured) on Monday after he was seen with an Israel flag
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier called on pro-Palestinian protesters to abandon the rally.
But as protesters arrived, a man clutching an Israeli flag was dragged away by police at Town Hall for ‘disrupting the peace’.
The man can be heard repeatedly saying ‘I have done nothing wrong’.
Daily Mail Australia witnessed three individuals attempt to fly an Israeli flag before being chased away by protestors and arrested by the police ‘for their own safety’.
One man who had not even unfurled an Israeli flag was dragged away by three officers as he cried out: ‘I’ve done nothing wrong!’
An officer told him: ‘You’ve been arrested in relation to a breach of the peace.’
Abigail Lane, 23, a social care student originally from Tasmania, had an Israeli flag with the words ‘peace’ taken from her by police.
‘A police officer came and snatched it out of my hands and said: ‘Why the hell are you going in there with that sign? What the hell do you think you’re doing?”,’ she said.
‘I said: “I’m not Palestinian, I’m not Israeli. I’m just Irish-Australian and I don’t like that we are inciting hate here in Sydney. My sign said love not hate.’
She added: ‘I don’t think inciting more anger and violence is the solution.’
There were scenes of chaos as the demonstrators lit up flares and cops lined up to stop them approaching the building
A large crowd has gathered outside the Opera House
Dramatic footage shows the man being dragged away by police while repeatedly saying ‘I have done nothing wrong’ during his arrest (pictured)
Appearing on 2GB’s Drive with Chris O’Keefe, Mr Albanese called on people to respect the ‘loss of life’ that occurred on the weekend after Palestinian military group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, leading to the death of more than 1100 civilians.
‘I think people need to really take a step back,’ he said, speaking on 2GB’s Drive with Chris O’Keefe.
‘What has occurred here is completely indefensible.
‘You can’t target civilians like what occurred over the weekend where you had thousands attending a music festival.
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‘The idea that you would have people launching essentially indiscriminate shooting at random, just trying to cause as much harm and bloodshed as possible, is just an atrocity that deserves condemnation of all.’
Prime Minister Anthony (pictured) has pleaded with pro-Palestinian protestors to abandon the rally at the Sydney Opera House on Monday night
However, Palestine Action Group Sydney organiser Josh Lees criticised both the state and federal government for taking a ‘one-sided stance’.
‘The media and government are decrying the loss of life of civilians. What about Palestinian civilians. Why don’t their lives matter?’ he said.
‘Where is the condemnation for the promises coming from the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to target every corner of the Gaza Strip in the coming days.’
The activist group condemned Israel for launching a ‘full scale war on Palestine’ and demanded Australia ‘cut ties with Israel’.
‘It is the responsibility of everyone who stands for justice, freedom, against apartheid, colonialism and imperialism to stand up for Palestine,’ the event description read.
‘End Israeli apartheid, the occupation, the siege on Gaza.’
As of 5pm on Monday, more than 250 people had said they would be attending the rally.
A statement issued by the NSW Police confirmed officers ‘will have a presence at the protest’ and ‘will work with protesters to ensure there are no breaches of the peace and there is minimal impact to the community’.
‘The NSW Police Force is aware of upcoming planned protest activity at Sydney Town Hall today (Monday, October 9, 2023) and will monitor the situation accordingly,’ the statement said.
Demonstrators plan to move from the Town Hall to the Sydney Opera House at 7pm in protest of the landmark being lit up in white and blue, the colours of the Israel flag
‘The NSW Police Force recognises and supports the rights of individuals and groups to exercise their rights of free speech and peaceful assembly; however, the first priority for NSW Police is always the safety of the wider community.’
On Sunday evening, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in the southwestern Sydney suburb of Lakemba, where the Hamas attack was labelled as a ‘day of pride’ and a ‘day of victory’.
The demonstrations were criticised by Anthony Albanese, who condemned people who supported the violence.
‘There’s no victory with the slaughter of innocent people,’ the Prime Minister told Sunrise on Monday.
‘The capturing of the people and taking them back to Gaza represents an extraordinary action by Hamas. And Israel, of course, has a right to defend itself, and it will.’
The rally is the latest of demonstrations in support of Palestine after the Hamas group launched a surprise attack on Israel, leaving hundreds dead and thousands injured
NSW Police say they will closely monitor the rally, saying in a statement that while they respect the right to exercise free speech their priority ‘is always the safety of the wider community’
Foreign Minister Penny Wong reiterated Mr Albanese’s concerns and said the ‘targeting of civilians and the taking of hostages is never a cause for celebration’.
The planned protest will occur hours before the Sydney Opera House will be illuminated in blue and white at 7.30pm as an act of solidarity with Jewish communities across NSW.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the government was working to identify whether any Australians had been involved in the attacks.
‘We are deeply concerned about the horrific attack by Hamas on Israel and those who have been kidnapped,’ he said.
‘We will continue to work to ensure that we provide all support possible to those impacted across our state and are monitoring the situation closely to learn if any NSW citizens that are currently living in, on holidays or pilgrimage in the Middle East are impacted.’
