Liberal elders tell Anthony Albanese to follow path taken by NSW Premier Chris Minns
Liberal heavyweights, past and present, have praised a show of force by NSW Premier Chris Minns in response to a pro-Palestine protest ‘underpinned by deep anti-Semitism’.
Liberal heavyweights led by former prime minister John Howard have praised a show of force by NSW Premier Chris Minns in response to a pro-Palestine protest “underpinned by deep anti-Semitism”, in an indirect criticism of the premier’s federal ALP counterparts.
It comes as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s failure to maintain consistency and unity across caucus on Israel-Hamas fuels a messy division inside federal Labor ranks.
On Tuesday night, 400 pro-Palestine protesters descended onto Port Botany, aimed at holding up an Israeli-owned freight ship, before it spilt onto the streets, where 23 were arrested and charged.
NSW Police blamed a large number of “professional protesters” and revealed it was not authorised.
The premier on Wednesday backed the police, saying they acted “absolutely appropriately”.
“I don’t see (these protesters) blocking the port in relation to issues with other countries,” Mr Minns said. “If there’s going to be laws that are broken, police are going to arrest people in order to keep public safety.”
Opposition ranks have praised Mr Minns’s approach and the police’s actions.
A spokesman for Mr Howard applauded the show of force, which he said failed to extend across the state border.
“The premier is demonstrating more clarity and sense of direction than his federal Labor counterparts,” the spokesman told The Australian.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott condemned the scenes.
“There was the added problem of an anti-Semitic edge, which has no place in a decent society,” he said. “Well done to the police for acting strongly, and good on the premier for backing them.”
Federal Liberal leader Peter Dutton, who opened the Melbourne Holocaust Museum on Wednesday with Mr Albanese, said the protest and attempted boycott “beggars belief”.
“Not only do these protests send a bad economic message, the fact they are underpinned by deep anti-Semitism means they should be utterly condemned,” he said. “The premier and police should be commended for their swift actions overnight.”
He urged the whole country to “get serious” with “protests of hate … which are a strain on our national character”.
Former Australian ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma said he “fully supported” the response, and that he was relieved authorities had “finally stepped up”, accusing them of previous “leniency”.
NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman commended Mr Minns’s actions, but urged him to condemn the Maritime Union of Australia’s Sydney branch for supporting the protest. “If Chris Minns is serious about calling out unlawful protests, he needs to call out his union mates,” he said.
Jewish groups condemned Tuesday’s rally.
“The premier has demonstrated exceptional leadership throughout a challenging period,” NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said.
“In which a moral haze has enveloped too many, he has displayed moral clarity and conviction, and set a benchmark for leaders across Australia.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin called the rally one of “hatred”.
“ … Protesters abusing police and rallying against a ship further prove the pro-Palestinian movement isn’t about peace or justice, it’s about hatred and destruction,” he said.
However, not all were happy with the response or stance.
“The real crime is not protesting, it’s that nearly 6000 children have been killed in Gaza, with no end in sight,” said Josh Lees from the Palestine Action Group, who did not organise Tuesday’s protest.
NSW Council for Civil Liberties president Lydia Shelly said the right to protest – “even if considered disruptive or inconvenient” – had to be “protected”.
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