Hundreds of people are rallying in Sydney at October 7 anti-Israel protests

Pro-Palestine rallies and vigils are being held despite authorities calling for them to be suspended on the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.

Anthony Albanese has been accused of trying to “silence Muslims” as anti-Israel vigils and rallies went ahead despite calls for them not to be held on the October 7 anniversary.

Political leaders had called for the rallies and vigils not to be held on the first anniversary of terror group Hamas’ murder of 1200 Israelis out of respect for Australia’s Jewish community.

But the events went ahead, with a heavy police presence on standby.

Several hundred people gathered outside Sydney’s Lakemba mosque on Monday evening, while a static vigil was held outside Sydney’s Town Hall and a procession took place in Melbourne.

Sheikh Wesam Cherkawi said the seventh of October is an “act of resistance”, adding “this is the beginning of the end of Zionism”.

“What we’ve seen live on our phones is we’ve seen the Israeli Defense Force kill and maim Palestinians,” he said.

“This is the beginning of the end of Zionism.

“How is it that the so-called strongest army in the region has not been able to break a people who will resist? The reason is because you will never break the will of the people.”

A pro-Palestine vigil was held outside Sydney’s Town Hall on Monday evening. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

A vigil has been held at Sydney’s Town Hall to remember lives lost in Gaza in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attacks. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

In Melbourne, Palestinian communities silent procession on St Kilda Road to honour loved ones lost in Gaza. Picture: NewsWire / Luis Ascui

Speaking to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Mr Cherkawi said “social cohesion is a dirty word” for Muslims.

“It’s a dirty word to the community, and you only use it when you want to silence Muslims. But our voice will never be silent,” he said.

He also called out Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke after he last week said he’d “consider refusing and cancelling visas for anyone who seeks to incite discord in Australia” following the presence of Hezbollah flags at a rally in Melbourne last week.

“He came out very aggressively, threatened deportation, he said.

“The first time we’ve ever heard him condemn anything. And he comes out and he says, ‘These people who carry temporary visas should go back to where they come from’, words to that effect.

“So we know that he can condemn something, but he doesn’t talk about the IDF soldiers who are potentially coming, who have participated in a genocide and war crimes, who are coming back to this country.

“He can’t pick up the phone to the Australian Federal Police and say, start your investigations about these people who have been directly involved in a war crimes and in a genocide.”

He finished by urging protesters to “hold strong”.

“I know in times like this, people can become weary and people can become fatigued, but hold strong,” he said.

“EVERY LIFE COUNTS”

A speaker from the Lebanese Muslim Association said it was “unacceptable” for Western governments to “arm Israel” while calling for a ceasefire.

“Innocent families are being torn apart, homes destroyed and entire generations wiped out, yet the world stands silent – in some cases, complicit,” he said.

“As we mark October the seventh, it is unacceptable that while the people of Palestine and Lebanon are being killed and displaced, Western governments continue to arm Israel on one hand while calling for a ceasefire on the other.

“This is a gross contradiction that cannot go unchallenged anymore.”

He asked how the government can remain silent while “women, children, entire families are destroyed”.

He also called out politicians for attending vigils, while noting he mourns the lives lost on October 7.

The crowd was told that all lives count as the world marked the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel that has led to a year of increased conflict and thousands of deaths. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Hundreds of people gathered at Sydney’s Lakemba mosque to stand for Palestine and Lebanon on the anniversary of the October 7 attacks. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

“The irony of our political leaders is not lost on us. Today, they are clamouring over each other to attend the vigil in the eastern suburbs today,” he said.

“Like them, we mourn the innocent lives of all that have been lost on the seventh of October.

“But unlike them – this is the important thing – unlike them, we want every single life that has been lost today, over 50,000 and counting.

“We do not believe in marginalising any community, neglecting their pain and suffering.

“Every innocent life matters. Palestinian lives matters. Lebanese life matters. The world should hold sacrosanct the sanctity of human life.

“NOT APPROPRIATE”: MINNS

NSW Premier Chris Minns has called the Monday protests “grossly insensitive”.

“I don’t think it is appropriate, that is my personal view,” he said.

“To hold a protest or a rally on a day when people were massacred on the other side of the world is grossly insensitive, in my opinion.”

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb, meanwhile, said police would attend both events and held concerns the protests could mushroom into something larger.

“We can’t rule (that) out – we would always be concerned that there’d be interlopers, (and that) people will come in for the wrong reason,” she said.

NSW police will attend two pro-Palestine events in Sydney on Monday. Picture: NewsWire / Simon Bullard

Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna, speaking before Sunday’s mass pro-Palestine rallies across the country, said the police would arrest protesters who break the law.

“If we see there are public safety issues, if people want to commit a criminal offence or significant anti-social behaviour … we won’t tolerate that (and) we won’t hesitate to act,” he said.

It is illegal in Australia to display symbols connected to a terrorist organisation or to display Nazi symbols such as the swastika.

Palestine rallies are facing increased scrutiny after flags of Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, and framed pictures of its slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, began to appear at rallies last weekend.

Palestine Action Group Sydney has asked supporters to refrain from displaying terrorist symbols, but only as a tactical move to prevent the police from shutting down rallies.

“We urge rally attendees not to bring any flags, symbols or printed depictions which might be deemed illegal due to their association with proscribed terrorist groups under Australian law,” the group said on Sunday.

A pro-Palestine protester displays a flag mimicking the flag of terrorist group Hezbollah. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“We do not agree with these laws or the way they are being enforced and we have pointed out the hypocritical way this issue has been discussed by politicians and media outlets who are busy supporting the terrorist state of Israel.

“But we don’t want to see people getting in potentially serious legal trouble, or giving the police any reason to make arrests at the rally, or to prevent us from holding future protests. Please assist protest organisers and marshals by not bringing these items.”

Mr Minns also said the police would act on any vilification of the Jewish community.

“We cannot allow a situation where permissive anti-Semitism creeps into the public dialogue because a certain group in our community believe that kind of racism is okay. It’s not okay,” he said.

“I want to make it clear that if there’s any breaches in protests, in public sermons, in speeches over this weekend, it will be met with very strict laws in Australia and in NSW in relation to hate speech.”