Pro-Palestinian supporters and Christian group face off in rally on SA parliament
Police had to stand between two opposing rallies on the steps of Parliament House on Sunday, as several hundred pro-Palestine and Jewish supporters clashed.
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A wall of police had to stand between two opposing rallies on the steps of Parliament House on Sunday, as several hundred pro-Palestine and Jewish supporters clashed over the conflict in the Middle-East.
On one side, Palestine supporters chanted and held placards with the words “No pride in genocide” and “From the river to the sea, always was, always will be”.
On the other, members of South Australia’s Jewish community held placards with words such as “Push back the hate mate, anti-Semitism is un-Australian”.
Freya Leach, co-founder of Never Again Is Now (NAIN), the grassroots Christian movement that organised the rally for the Jewish community, and said the counter-protest was disheartening.
“I’m really flabbergasted that a protest for peace and tolerance and respect could be counter-protested,” said Ms Leach, who flew from Sydney for the demonstration.
“Since October 7 (when Hamas militants invaded Israel), we’ve seen a 738 per cent increase in anti-Semitism – that’s anti-Jewish hate and racism.
“When we’re seeing it happening to the Jewish people, we have to stand up and say ‘That’s not OK’.”
Ms Leach said that their rally was about “tolerance and peace” and showing support for the Jewish community – not Israel.
There was visibly a stronger police presence than other recent rallies outside Parliament House, as the groups clashed.
No arrests were made.
Pro-Palestine supporters chanted throughout the Jewish rally, saying “Free Palestine” and “No pride in genocide”.
Counter rally organiser, Habibah Jaghoori of Lil-Aqsa, said: “The reason we’re here today is because never again means never again for everybody, including Palestinians.
“We are out here protesting Zionism and the ideology of Zionism, which breeds ethnic cleansing and genocide and hate. We are not against ... Judaism, (they are) our (Jewish) brothers and sisters in faith as a Muslim.”
Palestine supporter TJ, who did not want to give their last name, held a sign with the words “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”. They said the meaning of it was a symbol of “resistance”, but TJ was aware of different meanings of the phrase.
“There’s no doubt right now that what’s going on in Palestine is a genocide, so, for me, this is a quote of resistance and determination,” TJ said.
“Ultimately, the genocide in Gaza will not succeed.
“Palestinians are not going to be wiped out, and Palestine will remain no matter the violence and disruption of Israeli defences.”
On the other side, father Leo, 40, who did not want to give his last name, said that he was worried about the rise of anti-Semitism in the community and how it would affect his children.
Coalition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham, who spoke at the NAIN rally, also condemned anti-Semitism.
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