‘Not human, supporting genocide’: Qld councillor ‘attacked’ after pro-Palestine rally

Security has been ramped up for a Gold Coast City councillor after she was subjected to a “torrent of abuse” following a rowdy pro-Palestinian protest.

Protesters descended on the Gold Coast City Council chambers on Tuesday. Photo: Channel 7.

Security has been ramped up for a Gold Coast City councillor after she claims she was subjected to a “torrent of abuse” following a rowdy pro-Palestinian protest.

Southport councillor Brooke Patterson said she was left “rattled” after being called “not human” and a supporter of genocide by a constituent who contacted her office.

It is not suggested that the constituent was part of the protest.

It followed what she described as an “aggressive” demonstration at Gold Coast city hall on Tuesday by a group of pro-Palestine supporters calling on the council to scrap its longstanding sister city relationship with Israeli city Netanya.

Police were called to the meeting and escorted protesters out of the council chambers after a flag was unfurled inside.

Councillor Brooke Patterson. Picture Glenn Hampson

Cr Patterson claimed she was then contacted on Wednesday by a constituent who she claims verbally attacked her after councillors refused to accept a petition from the protesters.

“It (the conversation) escalated really quickly after I explained the petition process and told him that I felt strongly about maintaining the sister city relationship,” she said.

“He said ‘you’re not human’ and ‘you’re supporting genocide’. It was a torrent of abuse which left me feeling quite rattled.”

“This sort of behaviour is getting out of control and I’m calling it out. We are seeing some despicable behaviour with a complete lack of respect for elected representatives or democracy.”

Her great-great uncle was former federal Labor minister Herbert “Doc” Evatt, who later became United Nations president and was a leading architect of the creation of Israel with the 1947 decision to partition the territory known as Mandatory Palestine into two states – one Jewish and one Arab.

Protesters held up Palestine flags in the public gallery.

“I guess the Doc would not have conceived that generations later, his great-great niece would have to be calling out antisemitism in a modern, coastal Australian city – but here we are,” she said.

Cr Patterson said protesters at the council meeting had “screamed” and banged on the gallery glass “attempting to bully the mayor and full council to submit to their rattling and demands”.

“What they wanted is unthinkable – for council to abandon our sister relationship with an Israeli city in its hour of need,” she said.

Cr Brooke Patterson. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“Most bewildering was that many of the protesters were young women – white women, not Arabs, not Muslim. I did notice one young lady in the gallery dressed in a singlet and openly breastfeeding.

“I couldn’t help but wonder, what would happen if she attempted this in a Palestinian government building? The freedoms we enjoy are not a plaything. They were fought for, to the death.

“And now we witness the left side of politics has turned its back on Australian Jews and, in turn, all our freedoms. These protesters think they are countering racism.”

Cr Patterson said Jews had suffered the greatest loss of life in a single day since the Holocaust during last October’s attack on Israel by terrorist group Hamas.

“Many are still being held hostage in barbaric conditions,” she said.

“Yet, here on the Gold Coast, those who like to think they are so well-intentioned would have us turn our back on them. It is hard to fathom.” she said.

“To Netanya, Gold Coast is your sister city. To our Jewish community, know I stand with you and say never again.”

Cr Patterson said council CEO Tim Baker had arranged increased security for her at public events.