‘Love beats hate’: how Miznon staff, guests defied anti-Semitic protest with music

The power of song helped brave Miznon staff and guests overcome the threats and bullying of an anti-Semitic mob on Friday night.

Shabbat with challah, candles, song, and love at Miznon after the protest on Friday night. Picture: Nina Sanadze

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As she picked her way around up-ended tables, broken glass and splattered food, Nina Sanadze was overwhelmed with a sudden and painful realisation; kristallnacht had come to Melbourne.

The Jewish artist raced to Miznon when she learned pro-­Palestinian protesters had stormed the Israeli restaurant in Hardware Lane in the heart of the city run by her close friends.

Walking into Miznon just 20 minutes after a couple of dozen protesters trashed the restaurant, Ms Sanadze was confronted with the aftermath of the anti-Semitic attack as crying staff and diners hugged.

“People were in shock, just walking around, hugging and crying,” she told The Australian.

“There was broken glass everywhere, tables were overturned, food thrown around … I thought ‘This is kristallnacht’.”

In 1938 in Germany, Nazis unleashed pogroms on Jewish businesses, homes and synagogues in a night of violence that became known as kristallnacht, or the night of broken glass.

About 20 pro-Palestinian protesters, some wearing keffiyehs, descended on Miznon about 8.15pm on Friday, chanting “Death to the IDF” while pushing tables over, breaking glass and throwing food. Tomatoes, cauliflower and eggplants were thrown on the ground and a glass door was shattered.

This hardcore group had splintered from a larger protest in the city earlier in the night and targeted Miznon, an Israeli restaurant.

Police rushed to Hardware Lane in response and arrested a Footscray woman for hindering officers. She is expected to be charged on summons.

“Victoria Police is disappointed with the actions of protesters in the Melbourne CBD on Friday night,” police said.

“About 70 protesters gathered in Swanston Street at 5.30pm protesting the need for police presence at public demonstrations. About 8.15pm, a group of about 20 protesters then walked to a restaurant on Hardware Lane where members of the public were enjoying their evening.

“The group then began shouting offensive chants.

“Victoria Police continued to support the rights of Victorians to protest peacefully but will not ­tolerate the kind of anti-social and violent behaviour that was witnessed this evening.”

Staff console each other at Miznon restaurant in Hardware Lane after a group of about 20 anti-Israel activists reportedly chanted ‘death to the IDF’. Picture: Nadir Kinani

Ms Sanadze said as she helped staff clean up the mess at Miznon, that something extraordinary emerged in the midst of the trauma and tears; singing.

“There was singing of Jewish songs as a way of recalibrating and bringing this dehumanising, awful experience to an end, to bring ­people back into their bodies,” she told The Australian.

“It was so special to hear Jewish singing as a very beautiful way of rehumanising themselves and to bring the peace and healing.”

Ms Sanadze, who is creating sculptures using the burnt chairs from the firebombed Adass Israel synagogue, said the feeling of the spirit of love and defiance was uplifting on Friday night.

“This was a way of standing up to hate with love and with music,” she said.

“And then we did Shabbat … lit some candles and said a prayer.

“People just held each other and said ‘We will be here … standing up, turning up and working at Miznon and do not be scared’.”

Ms Sanadze said even in the immediate aftermath of the protest, strength and determination quickly began to shine through the darkness.

Police in Hardware Lane. Picture: Euan Kennedy

“It was in the spirit of people remembering what a beautiful place it is and not to succumb to the fear, not to succumb to the bullying,” she said, saying the traumatised victims at Miznon then learned of the arson attack on the East Melbourne synagogue, located just a few kilometres away.

“We did hear then that a synagogue had been torched, so it was a horrific thing to hear that something else was happening,” she said.

Ms Sanadze has written and published an account online about her experiences on Friday night.

“The staff are young people from all over the world: Chinese, Korean, Chilean, Colombian, Israeli, French, Australian, shaken, crying, hugging each other in disbelief,” she wrote.

“Customers huddled in stunned silence. People were ­broken. Terrified.

“And then a voice began to sing.

“A Jewish song. Old, holy, filled with soul. Another joined. Then another. Soon the space was filled with ancient melody. Songs of exile, of faith, of home.

“Even in the ashes of hate, Miznon did what Jews have done for thousands of years:

“We lit candles. We broke bread. We gave thanks.”