‘Psychological warfare’: Pro-Palestinian motorcade heads for Sydney’s east

A controversial pro-Palestine motorcade that made its way through the city’s eastern suburbs on Saturday evening was organised by a man previously charged with terrorism offences.

Tensions between Sydney’s Jewish community and pro-Palestine activists threatened to explode on Saturday, with a motorcycle convoy to the eastern suburbs labelled as “psychological warfare”.

Tensions only increased when it emerged the organiser of the motorcade had previously been charged with terrorism offences.

Organiser Zaky Mallah was the first Australian charged with terrorism offences after he threatened to blow up the offices of ASIO and DFAT in 2003.

While he was acquitted of planning a terror attack, he was convicted of threatening to kill Commonwealth officials and was given a 2½-year jail term.

Mallah was asked if he expected the event to be calm at the motorcade’s meeting point in Lidcombe. “It has to be,” he said. “We have no choice.”

Riders from Al Quds community centre in Regents Park and elsewhere gathered at Bunnings in Lidcombe before riding to Coogee beach. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Zaky Mallahtalks to the motorcycle riders before setting off on the convoy. Picture: Damian Shaw

Riders were headed to Sydney’s eastern suburbs, a route condemned by Jewish leaders. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Dylan Robinson

The route also drew criticism from one of Sydney’s main Palestinian activists Fahad Ali who took to X, formerly Twitter, to denounce the convoy.

“I’ll be clear: this is a deliberately provocative action. It has no strategic purpose. No one I know in the Palestinian community is on board with this,” he wrote.

The group was met at Coogee by close to 100 people on the beachfront waving Israeli flags.

There was a brief stan- off between the two groups when the convoy of bikers stopped at the lights.

People could be seen yelling at each other as the bikes revved before moving on.

Police worked to seperate the groups before the motorcade continued through Coogee.

One of the bystanders, Israeli Avi Efrat, hoped for a peaceful night and no confrontations.

“Many women feared to go out tonight,” he said.

“We’ve come here in a peaceful way. I’ve even brought my kids.”

POlice and community leaders were hoping to avoid the unrest that blighted Melbourne on Friday night. Picture: Rukshan Fernando @therealrukshan/Twitter

Despite it being Shabbat, or the Jewish day of rest, NSW Jewish Board of Deputies President David Ossip slammed the convoy.

“There is no reason why a notionally peaceful anti-Israel or pro-Palestinian protest needs to make its way from Lidcombe to Coogee, it is clear that the route has been chosen for one purpose – to intimidate and scare the Jewish community,” Mr Ossip said.

“This is psychological warfare and it should not be tolerated in Sydney. I share the outrage and frustration that the community is feeling.”

Vaucluse MP Kellie Sloane agreed: “The pro-Palestinian motorcyclists have chosen a deliberately provocative route into the heart of Sydney’s largest Jewish community”.

Mr Ossip said scenes of violent clashes between groups in Melbourne should not be replicated in Sydney, and implored locals to “take the high road” and avoid engaging with the convoy.

The convoy started at Lidcombe Bunnings where a dozen or so men on bikes were escorted by several police cars to Coogee. Many did not want to talk when approached.

Motorbikes were notoriously used by Hamas terrorists in the October 7 atrocities.

Mr Mallah blasted Mr Ossip for “defending the Israeli Zionist terrorist forces” and said Sydney’s Jewish leaders “are no different to the leaders of the Zionist state of Israel who continuously lie and play the victim card”.

NSW Police were highly visible in a bid to prevent the sort of violence seen in Melbourne on Friday night.

A previous pro-Palestinian protest and march in Sydney on October 29. Picture: Monique Harmer

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said the protests “bring shame” to the pro-Palestinian cause.

“The staging of protests and other actions in predominantly Jewish neighbourhoods is a deliberate provocation intended to terrorise Jewish Australians in their homes and their places of worship,” he said.

Earlier, a different pro-Palestinian group descended on Port Botany to rally against Israeli shipping company ZIM.

Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi told the crowd the federal Government were “heartless, gutless cowards”.

Anthony Albanese said: “This is a day when we pause to give thanks for the sacrifices so many Australians have made to keep our nation free and peaceful.

It is always worth repeating: there is no place in our nation for hatred or prejudice of any kind.”

Jetskis out for Port Botany rally

A few hundred protesters under a sea of Palestinian flags are rallying at Port Botany, watched by a heavy police presence

Protesters also took their flags out on jetskis in the nearby waters, after the rally began at noon on Saturday afternoon.
Dozens of people from the group, Palestine Justice Movement Sydney, gathered on the Foreshore Boat Ramp, calling for a boycott of the Israeli ZIM shipping company, which it accused of being a “major transporter of armaments”.

The protest originally intended to blockade a ZIM container ship, but the vessel was diverted from the port earlier this week.

The rally went ahead despite calls from NSW Premier Chris Minns against any attempts to block any ships.

Palestine protesters rally at Port Botany against an Israeli shipping company. Picture: Dylan Robinson

“I just want to make it clear that living in a free country doesn’t mean that you can walk down to the port and stop lawful trade between Australia and its trading partners across the world,” Mr Minns said to 2GB’s Ben Fordham on Tuesday.

On Saturday, protesters chanted: “Resistance is justified when Palestine is occupied”.

Palestine protesters rally at Port Botany against an Israeli shipping company. Picture: Dylan Robinson

One speaker said: “We can’t just look and feel horrible about what’s going on. We have to get that power and make a difference.”

Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi told the crowd the government were “heartless gutless cowards”.

“Both the Liberals and Labor are morally bankrupt on this issue,” she said

“Labor must stop military exports to Israel as well. The only thing that will force Labor to change is people power.”

Jetskis took to the water. Picture: X

The rally was a sea of Palestinian flags. Picture: X

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