‘Nobody should feel afraid’: Senator’s swipe as hundreds attend pro-Israel, Palestine protests in Sydney, Melbourne
A NSW MP has slammed what she says is “appalling” Palestinian propaganda in her own electorate, after taking to the stage of a pro-Israel rally amid a week of highly-tense protests.
A NSW MP has voiced her outrage at what she says is “appalling” pro-Palestine propaganda at a rally in support of Israel and the Jewish community.
Allegra Spender, who represents the division of Wentworth, made the comments at a rally calling for the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas on Sunday, as hundreds across the country attended pro-Israel and Palestine rallies.
Ms Spender took to the microphone at the rally to call out what she said was pro-Palestine “propaganda she had witnessed in her electorate.
“I have been appalled by some of the posters, the graffiti that my community has had to live through over this last period,” she said.
“Nobody should feel afraid to be part of their community, no one should feel targeted or isolated.”
Hundreds of people gathered in Melbourne and Sydney at demonstrations calling for an end to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, following a contentious week of protests all over the nation.
Federal Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg took the opportunity to criticise Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi for openly supporting Palestine and proudly being pictured at a student protest next to offensive signs.
“Just in the last few days we see a Senator of the Commonwealth standing next to someone with a deeply anti-Semitic slogan which is proposing the same thing as Hamas, which is to remove the state of Israel from the map,” he said
“The fact that is being paraded around publicly in that way shows we have a massive problem in this country.”
Mr Bragg also said he does not support the ceasefire with Hamas.
“We have not supported the ridiculous, juvenile calls for a ceasefire,” he said.
“Because that organisation’s (Hamas) objective is to destroy the state of Israel and that is something we will never support.”
Sunday’s gathering was the first pro-Israel rally held in Sydney since the Hamas attack in early October, while at the same time Senator Lidia Thorpe was on stage in Melbourne talking at a Free Palestine rally.
Ms Thorpe has promised to stand up and make a statement “every day” against a system she says is promoting “genocide” after being welcomed to thunderous applause at a pro-Palestine rally.
Senator Thorpe promised she would “not let this colonial system perpetrate and facilitate genocide” for as long as it would take.
“I will make a statement every day this war continues,” she said.
Senator Thorpe also rallied support for the Blak Sovereign Movement and planned protests ahead of Australia Day next year.
“Over 550 deaths in custody and counting, incarceration rates worse than anywhere else... we know your pain,” she said.
“We are sorry that you have lost so many babies and so many family members.
“We understand that pain, and we stand with you every minute of every day.”
She told the crowd there was “nothing” to celebrate with the ongoing war, something she called was a “genocide”.
Thorpe apologised for not having been to any earlier protests as she took the stage dressed in red and black wearing face paint and a scarf with the Palestinian flag on it.
A large crowd gathered outside the State Library of Victoria as they were waiting for Ms Thorpe to speak.
The energetic crowd was fired up, even in the less-than-ideal weather, with one speaker taking the stage before Ms Thorpe calling into question the ceasefire with Israel.
“Make no mistake this is not a ceasefire, this is a pause,” the man said.
“Israeli terrorist forces are still intending to carry on their genocidal attack.
“This pause is temporary but the trauma and the pain the people of Gaza will carry is permanent.”
Thorpe took to the stage she apologised for not having been to any earlier protests and said she stood with Palestine, dressed in red and black wearing face paint and a scarf with the Palestinian flag on it.
Victorian Greens Senator Gabrielle de Vietri then took the stage calling for a free Gaza amidst the ceasefire.
“Four days to take a breath. Four days to have a meal. Four days to collect the bodies of loved ones,” the member for Richmond said.
Before leaving the stage Ms de Vietri started a chant.
“Free, free Palestine. Shame, shame Israel. Shame, shame USA. Shame, Shame Labor party,” she cried.
The crowd then marched down Swantson St towards Flinders Street Station, chanting “in our thousands, in our millions, we are all Palestinians” with police having to marshall at intersections diverting traffic.
At the same time in Hyde Park in Sydney Free Palestine protesters gathered in red and black, waving Palestinian flags, some covered in mock blood.
A large Palestinian flag was laid out on the ground at the park as part of the protest.
A bike ride from Bankstown to Brighton in support of Gaza will also take place today.
The rallies come as Hamas announced it had released a second group of Israeli and foreign civilians it had been holding hostage in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Speaking on the hostage release Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Alex Ryvchin, said that it was still “difficult to feel joy” after the Hamas attacks of last month.
“We feel relief and gratitude that some of the most vulnerable hostages including babies and the elderly are now free, away from the hell of Hamas captivity,” he said.
“But it is difficult to feel joy knowing that some of the hostages are orphaned or the last surviving members of their families. It is difficult to feel joy knowing that on October 7 so many children were tortured, raped and burned alive.
His comments come as hundreds of people took to the streets of Sydney in support of Israel in a sea of blue and white.
Yellow balloons were placed on chairs in Sydney’s Martin Place that had flyers taped to them reading kidnapped showing the photos of those take by Hamas.
Protests over the past few months have been rocked by confronting scenes, some comparing the Jewish state to Nazi Germany and carrying fake, bloodied corpses around at rallies.
Hundreds of schoolkids across the country defied warnings as they walked off campuses in support of Palestine this week, despite politicians urging them to stay in school.
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NSW Education Minister Prue Car said students should not be “skipping school” for protesting.
NSW Premier Chris Minns made on Wednesday said: “If you want to change the world, get an education and this is precisely why we have a world class public education system.”
He said making school “the enemy” was the wrong move as he wanted children to be “fully educated to be knowledgeable about the world.”
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