Pro-Palestine protesters swarm Adelaide Convention Centre as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivers a speech

Pro-Palestine protesters have confronted the prime minister during a speech to a militant union at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Pro-Palestine protesters have chastised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during his brief appearance at Adelaide Convention Centre on Thursday.

About 30 protesters swarmed outside the function centre, where the prime minister delivered a speech at the Maritime Union’s Quadrennial National Conference.

Many protesters were armed with banners that read “ceasefire now” and “stop the genocide”, with another woman’s sign reading “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” – an anti-semitic slogan calling for the elimination of Israel.

The protesters were heard chanting “Albanese, you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide” and “free Palestine”.

Protesters outside the Adelaide Convention Centre. Picture: Ben Clark

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was met with protesters in Adelaide. Picture: Ben Clark

Protesters swarmed the Convention Centre. Picture: Ben Clark

Nine police officers were seen guarding the entrance of the Convention Centre during the protest, which began between 6.30pm to 7pm.

Inside the centre, Mr Albanese continued to back his decision to deliver tax cuts across the country at the conference hosted by Maritime Union of Australia.

During the speech, Mr Albanese said the tax cuts were hoping to “make a real difference to households” by helping taxpayers “earn more and keep more of what you earn.”

“We’re giving all of Australia’s 13.6 million taxpayers a tax cut, because we support the aspiration of everyone in Australia,” Mr Albanese said.

“What we made was certainly not the easy decision, but it was the right decision and we made it for the right reasons.

“We’ve ensured that no one gets left behind, but we’ve ensured as well that the average workers will get double the tax cuts that they were going to get under the former government.

“Peter Dutton and the Liberals have made it clear they will roll back these tax cuts the first chance they get.”

The prime minister was met with a hug. Picture: Ben Clark

Mr Albanese applauded the country’s wage growth which currently sits at the “highest level since 2008” – while highlighting the gender pay gap was “the lowest it has ever been”.

“Unemployment remains at historically low levels and jobs are more secure because we have closed off loopholes that are used to exploit workers,” he said.

Mr Albanese said the creation of Australia’s Maritime Strategic Fleet would improve the country’s future maritime capability – by “helping get vital goods to affected regions and make us less reliant on international shipping during national emergencies”.

“If there’s something Covid taught us, it’s that we can’t afford to leave ourselves vulnerable at the end of the global supply chain,” he said.

“Australia relies on shipping to support our economic and social wellbeing, with an incredible 99 per cent of the volume of our goods trade moved by sea.

“It is essential that we make sure Australia continues to have a robust supply chain so we get food, fuel, medical supplies and other critical cargo to support Australian industries, the community and protect our national interest.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke at the conference. Picture: Ben Clark

The conference brought together union members from across the globe to discuss “industry development, membership growth and consolidations”.

It saw over 500 delegates from the MUA’s rank and file, international transport union representatives, domestic trade union and observers. MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin said the conference aims to “determine the strategy and framework for tackling the great challenges facing our union” in the next four years.

“Our conferences have always been a participative, democratic and enormously respected process that engages in at times robust but always open and fulsome discussion about those challenges and opportunities we face,” Mr Crumlin said.

Originally published as Pro-Palestine protesters swarm Adelaide Convention Centre as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivers a speech