Brisbane hotel workers walk off the job to protest over Zionist-booked event

Workers at a popular Brisbane pub walked off the job on Saturday night to join a protest against a Zionist-booked event being held at the venue.

The State Zionist Council of Queensland booked space at The Wickham, a well-known Fortitude Valley LGBTIQ+ hotel, to host a “White Shavuot Party” celebrating the Jewish festival, which started on Sunday.

It prompted a snap protest of about 150 people – including on-duty Wickham staff and performers – outside the venue. Staff who remained on the job supported their colleagues with free pizza and water bottles.

Staff walked out of The Wickham Hotel on Saturday night in protest over a Zionist event at the venue.Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

The protest was organised by local activist group Magandjin People’s Pride, from which comment has been sought.

Comment has also been sought from The Wickham Hotel and its head office at the Australian Venue Co, while the State Zionist Council of Queensland directed queries to the national body.

Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies president Jason Steinberg said the protest made Jewish people feel less safe in Brisbane.

“The events of last night really have reached a new low in terms of antisemitism in Queensland,” he said.

“What we saw was a rabid mob intimidating Jewish people in a way that we have not seen before in Queensland – and it’s unacceptable.”

But former Greens councillor and lord mayoral candidate Jonathan Sriranganathan, who attended the rally and live-streamed it, rejected any notion of antisemitism.

“It’s disingenuous, offensive and ridiculous to claim that all criticism of Israel is antisemitic, and we need to stop with this nonsense of conflating criticism of Zionism with criticism of Jewish people,” he said.

“There were quite a few – I’d say there were at least a dozen – anti-Zionist Jewish Australians who were also participating in the protest last night.”

Sriranganathan said claims of antisemitism were intended to discourage people from criticising Israel.

“When we know that Israel is starving and massacring and bombing hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians, we have to be very clear that it is not just legitimate but a responsibility to speak out against genocide,” he said.

“Sure, some people who are sympathetic to Israel are going to criticise us for that, but I think that’s what makes it all the more important to be really vocal and strong in our opposition to what [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is doing.”

Sriranganathan described the protest as loud, but ultimately peaceful, and said nobody was targeted because of their Jewishness.

Steinberg disagreed.

“This was a Jewish event. They attacked a Jewish event, and therefore it’s antisemitic,” he said.

“They verballed and abused Jewish people walking into that event, so therefore it is antisemitism. The Jewish people who were there felt unsafe and unwelcome in Queensland, and that is not acceptable.”

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said he became aware of the protest on Sunday morning.

“I want multicultural groups to be able to celebrate what makes them special, and to be able to be part of the state,” he said.

“I want people to be able to come to a country, make a contribution, fall in love with it, and still be proud of where they come from.”

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.