SA Pro-Palestine rally sparks anti-Semitism fears, police presence ramps up
Jewish groups say they fear escalating tensions ahead of a pro-Palestine rally in Adelaide – with police “ready for anything”.
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Police Commissioner Grant Stevens says police will be “ready for anything” when pro-Palestine protesters calling for the “end of Israeli apartheid” rally on the steps of state parliament on Sunday.
Organiser groups Students for Palestine and Adelaide Campaign Against Racism and Fascism have called on supporters to “demand Australia cut ties with Israel” at the Solidarity With Palestine rally.
The announcement of the Adelaide protest comes after belligerent scenes in Sydney on Monday, where “aggressive and violent language” was shouted by demonstrators at a mass gathering at the Opera House, which the NSW government had lit up in Israeli colours.
Adelaide’s Jewish leaders fear Sunday’s rally could similarly escalate tensions.
“Israel has declared war on Palestine for the humiliation it suffered when Palestinians tore down apartheid walls at a Gaza border, and began to enter ‘48 land that is rightfully theirs,” the Facebook event for Adelaide’s rally read.
“This comes in the context of the deadliest year ever for Palestinians with Israel elected its most right-wing government.
“End Israeli apartheid, the occupation, the siege on Gaza. Free Palestine.”
Police ‘ready for anything’
Speaking on FIVEaa radio onTuesday morning, Mr Stevens said police would “prepare accordingly” ahead of the event.
He said any unruly individuals could be removed from the scene if things turned ugly.
“For a person’s own safety, to prevent harm or inciting sort of some activity that could cause harm to others or upset the public safety – we can remove those people,” he said.
“They’re technically arrested but they’re released immediately with no charge.
“They’re not taken to a watch house, we just take them away from the scene that is likely to blow up.”
Mr Stevens said if event organisers did not engage with SA Police prior to the rally, officers would “plan for the worst and hope for the best”.
“We don’t want to be caught short, so if we don’t have that level of engagement we have to put more effort into make sure we’re ready for anything that might transpire,” he said.
Adelaide Hebrew Congregation President Warren Bund said the organisation had “grave concerns” about Adelaide’s rally, fearing “inflammatory statements, chants and foul-mouthed anti-Semitic sentiment were likely to be verbalised.”
SA Police said it was “aware of the events taking place in Israel and would advise the community if there is any impact upon community safety in South Australia.”
Mr Bund said SA Police had increased its presence at the organisation’s three main locations – the Holocaust Museum in Wakefield Street, Beit Shalom at Hackney and its premises at Glenside – in the wake of the weekend’s events.
A police spokesperson urged any suspicious activity to be reported to authorities.
Mike Khizam, a longstanding member of the Australian Friends of Palestine Association, said the organisation was “shocked” by the weekend’s events and condemned all attacks on civilians.
Mr Khizam slammed the chanting of anti-Semitic words at the Sydney pro-Palestine rally and said those protesters “did not speak for us or most Palestinians”.
However, the 64-year-old said it was important to note that the Hamas attacks “did not occur in a vacuum”.
“There is a history of 16 years of siege against the 2 million people in Gaza,” Mr Khizam said.
“We want the international community to recognise that this attack did not occur in a vacuum – and not to write Israel a blank cheque to say ‘do whatever you need to in retaliation’ and destroy Palestine.”
Landmarks around Adelaide are being illuminated in blue and white tonight in solidarity with the State of Israel. pic.twitter.com/eUBtWBbC9n
— Peter Malinauskas (@PMalinauskasMP) October 9, 2023
Local leaders on both sides say they have been angered by the minimalist responses of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong.
On October 7, Senator Wong wrote on X: “Australia unequivocally condemns the attacks on Israel by Hamas including indiscriminate rocket fire on cities and civilians”.
“We call for these attacks to stop and recognise Israel’s right to defend itself,” she continued.
“Australia urges the exercise of restraint and protection of civilian lives.”
Mr Bund said the community felt “let down badly” by the government after the attacks and some of the community’s elderly members, who experienced the Holocaust, were “reliving those horrid days and trembling again”.
He said his community felt Australia’s leaders had shown “little leadership and support for our fellow Jews in Israel.”
The Islamic Society of South Australia also hit out at Senator Wong’s comments – saying she “deliberately left out atrocities against Palestinian civilians in the past months and years.”
Monuments light up, SA Greens weigh in
On Monday, Premier Peter Malinauskas announced that Adelaide Oval and other CBD landmarks would be lit in Israeli colours “in solidarity with the State of Israel”.
Silma Ihram, a spokeswoman of the Islamic Society of South Australia, said it was “difficult for the Australian Muslim community to see Australian landmarks lit up in support of Israel”.
“We are concerned for all parties involved, but it’s been a pressing concern for a long time … when people are bottled up, they are going to blow up,” Ms Ihram said.
The organisation said Israel’s bombing of Gaza in the wake of the weekend’s Hamas attacks had left 413 people dead, including “three-month old twins killed on the southern Gaza Strip”.
“Atrocity denial has been shown throughout history as a way to dehumanise groups as being undeserving of collective grief,” the statement said.
“The fact that atrocity denial is perpetuated by our own elected leaders … is so deeply hurtful to many Australian citizens from all faith groups.”
On Tuesday, South Australian Greens Senators and MPs released a joint statement condemning the Hamas attacks – the day after NSW Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi sparked backlash over a tweet labelling the decision to light up Parliament House in Israeli colours “a disgrace”.
“One colonial government supporting another … Free Palestine,” she wrote.
SA Senators Sarah Hanson-Young and Barbara Pocock, along with SA MPs Robert Simms and Tammy Franks, called for an “immediate ceasefire” between Hamas and Israel.
“The Greens condemn all forms of violence, especially against civilians,” they said.
“We condemn the targeting of civilians by Hamas and the bombing of Palestinian civilians by the State of Israel.
“There must be an immediate ceasefire between the State of Israel and Hamas and a redoubling of international efforts to end the occupation and establish a just and lasting peace.”
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