Israel, Palestine supporters face off in rival protests in Melbourne CBD
Pro-Palestine demonstrators and Israel supporters have faced off in Melbourne’s CBD as police riot squad officers struggled to keep counterprotesters back from the pro-Israel “Stop The Hate, Mate” rally.
Hundreds of protesters draped in Israeli flags and holding umbrellas stood on the steps of Parliament House in the rain for Sunday’s rally, organised by Never Again Is Now, which describes itself as a Christian grassroots movement that stands against antisemitism and supports Israel.
Pro-Palestine protesters are held back by police to stop them approaching a pro-Israel rally in Melbourne on Sunday.
The rally observed a minute’s silence for those killed since Hamas militants crossed from Gaza into southern Israel in October and killed 1200 people and took more than 200 hostages.
About 35,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since.
Around 100 pro-Palestine counterprotesters were cordoned off by police about 100 metres away from the rally, chanting “Israel is a terrorist state” and “You can’t run, you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide”.
Tempers flared and repeated scuffles broke out between activists and public order response officers. Police horses were also used to move protesters back from the barriers erected along Spring Street.
Police officers arrest a pro-Palestine protester at the pro-Israel rally.
People trying to attend the main rally were often surrounded by pro-Palestine protesters as they attempted to make their way through the police line near Little Bourke Street.
A number of counterprotesters were led away by police.
One woman was in tears as she tried to enter the pro-Israel rally with a disabled loved one, while counter-protesters yelled that they were “baby murderers”.
Another woman draped in an Israeli flag put her fingers up at activists as she made her way to the rally.
Speakers at the Stop The Hate, Mate rally included Caulfield state MP David Southwick and Liberal senator Sarah Henderson, who told the crowd she believed universities should “bring in police” to deal with pro-Palestine university tent protests.
“In the face of the unlawful occupation of buildings, trespass, violence, hate and incitement which has shut down classes, and at Melbourne Uni, created chaos … I say restore law and order, so students and staff can learn and work in safety,” Henderson said.
A message from federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was played for the crowd, and Pastor Mark Leach, the rally organiser, said Dutton was “an amazing supporter of the Jewish people and of the land of Israel”.
Free Palestine Melbourne, which organises weekly rallies at State Library Victoria, had urged supporters to exercise caution on Sunday and avoid “the Zionists’ possible attempt to provoke violent confrontation”.
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