Multimillion-dollar policing price tag revealed as Melbourne marks one year of pro-Palestine rallies
The whopping cost of policing Melbourne’s 52 pro-Palestine rallies has been revealed as the city marks one year since the first protest — and the demonstrations are far from over.
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More than 260 officers will descend on Melbourne to police what is tipped to be one of the largest Pro-Palestine protests on Sunday.
It comes as the Sunday Herald Sun can reveal taxpayers have been slugged more than $4m to police the ongoing protests throughout the last year.
Activists have taken to city streets every Sunday for the past 12 months in what have typically been peaceful demonstrations.
Thousands of the anti-war crew have marched through various public sites with Sunday’s march tipped to be one of the largest Sunday protests in recent months.
More than 260 officers will be hauled into the city from the North West Metro area to assist in policing Sunday’s day of action.
This week marks one year since activists began turning out in force in the CBD in response to Israel’s retaliation against Hamas’ October 7 invasion.
Police officers lining the streets as thousands of demonstrators wave Palestinian flags and chant “free free Palestine” have become familiar sights for anybody who has walked through the city in recent months.
The 52 pro-Palestine rallies, and counting, that have taken place in the past year have pulled in significant policing resources, resulting in taxpayers being slugged more than $4m.
Days after October 7, police stood guard as thousands of people gathered on the steps of the State Library in what would become a weekly fixture in the CBD, instead calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s counter attacks in Gaza.
As tensions flared last year, fears grew over whether Melbourne’s streets would descend into the same anti-Semitic chaos that unfolded in Sydney, where protesters torched Israeli flags.
Instead, rallies organised by groups such as the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) and Free Palestine Melbourne drew in crowds of thousands of people, where pro-Palestine supporters heard from Jewish and Indigenous peace advocates calling for peace.
But what began as a movement for Palestinian solidarity, organised by major advocacy groups, turned into tensions fuelled by hard-line splinter groups, from which outspoken community representatives have worked hard to distance themselves.
Those activists have pointed to the Land Forces protest, instigated by Students for Palestine, as a key turning point in the mass gatherings.
The violent protest, endorsed by the Greens, not only required 12,000 policing shifts to adequately patrol the controversial convention, but almost 30 Victoria Police officers were injured or assaulted in clashes on the Spencer St bridge.
Dozens of activists were arrested for carrying weapons, spraying substances into police horses’ noses and torching debris on the street.
Some activists said they found that display was so divisive and damaging to peaceful pro-Palestine protests that they were forced to remove themselves from campaigning in public.
It also saw tensions flare between “The Liberation Crew” and “The Sit-Intifada” as the groups clashed over how rallies were being conducted in the wake of Land Forces.
As a result, Palestinian restaurateur turned activist Hash Tayeh last month vowed to stop attending the weekly rallies because they had become “a playground of egos” full of “division and judgment”.
Now, pressure is mounting on authorities to clamp down on protesters displaying the flag of Hezbollah, a Lebanese Islamist terrorist group, after Israel launched its invasion of southern Lebanon amid the ongoing conflict.
Free Palestine Melbourne activist Adnan Mansour urged demonstrators to stop bringing Hezbollah flags to rallies, but lashed demands for those who did so to be arrested.
“Those who call for the arrest of people waving Hezbollah flags today will call for the arrest of those waving Palestinian flags tomorrow,” he said.
“Palestinians want a peaceful solution that guarantees freedom and equal rights for Jews, Palestinians and everybody else.”
Mr Mansour said organisers tried to maintain a positive rapport with police.
APAN president Nasser Mashni told the Herald Sun while they called for an end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza, pro-Palestine activists also stood for peace for everyone.
“This struggle is not just about Palestine. It’s a mirror reflecting systemic injustice everywhere,” he said.
“Recognising this interconnectedness is vital for understanding why we must act urgently, unapologetically and with integrity.
“Our cause is bigger than any one person or group. It takes every single one of us, doing all we can, to fight the systemic injustices faced by Palestinians and to advocate for their inalienable rights.”
Protesters are set to gather today (Sunday) before others, who have been branded “shameful” for the planned action, will storm the streets on Monday, when the Jewish community marks the one-year anniversary of the kidnapping and murder of hundreds of Israelis.
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