Councillor Brooke Patterson posts stunning video on ‘hate mail’ after Jewish city support
Southport councillor Brooke Patterson has posted a stunning video saying “I’m not racist or anti-Semite” after receiving hate mail over a Gold Coast-Jewish sister city flare up.
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Southport councillor Brooke Patterson has posted a stunning video saying “I’m not racist or anti-Semite” after hate mail as tension simmers over the Gold Coast’s Jewish sister city ties.
The Bulletin can reveal the Gold Coast City Council is ramping up security – police are to attend the next full council meeting – as councillors are faced with another petition asking to sever ties with Israel’s Netanya.
Officers are considering it – after council already rejected one petition – with councillors to make a further decision in open council.
Ms Patterson, in a video standing outside one of her council street posters promoting the Chirn Park festival, said: “Pretty disappointed to see this.
She was pointing to a poster with her photograph with the words “racist” and “antisemetic” (sic) scrawled in red ink.
“I’m not racist. And I’m not anti-Semite,” she said.
“I’ve been getting a lot of angst and hate mail because I stood up for the Jewish community here and for our sister city with Israel.
“I’m not sure if who wrote this knows the definition of anti-Semite but there’s other ways to communicate these things.
“We don’t need this kind of tension and angst in our community.”
Asked about post, Ms Patterson said council was increasing security at future meetings but she was not concerned about her safety.
“I don’t feel there is a safety risk. We’ve identified who are the main agitators,” she said.
“They’re hippy girls from New South Wales. They wouldn’t know a thing about being Muslim. They’re loving the celebrity of it.”
A super majority of Gold Coast City councillors in August backed council maintaining its sister city relationship with Netanya.
The vote at a full council meeting occurred after months of tensions at meetings as council officers prepared a report. About 30 people staged a protest outside the Evandale chambers.
Some of the group had approached police outside the chamber front door and on a megaphone shouted: “Shame, shame, shame on you.”
They continued to bang drums as the meeting continued. Councillors and staffers did not leave the building.
Only councillor Peter Young voted against the recommendation although he acknowledged the sister city ties were not a political matter.
“I have long-standing friends who are Palestinian. I love them to pieces,” he said.
It is not suggested the constituent was part of the protest.
Cr Patterson claimed she had been contacted by a constituent who she claims verbally attacked her after councillors initially 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’re seeing some despicable behaviour with a complete lack of respect for elected representatives or democracy.”
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