Shock footage of fight at Town Hall pro-Palestine protest

A shocking video has emerged of a fight at a pro-Palestine protest at Melbourne Town Hall in which a Jewish couple say they were “pushed and shoved” amid howls of abuse.

A shocking video has emerged of a violent clash at a pro-Palestine rally outside the Melbourne Town Hall.

The footage, captured by a Jewish woman whose husband was pushed to the ground during the chaos, shows two men shoving one another as a crowd forms around them.

It comes after a controversial motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza was voted down by Melbourne City Council on Tuesday night.

The vote followed a night of tension, with police having to separate a man from the crowd and creating a human chain to block the entrance of protesters to Town Hall.

A 100-strong crowd gathered to watch the meeting from the steps of Melbourne Town Hall, with many chanting “free Palestine” and “genocide since 48”.

Jewish community member Sharon, who filmed the video, told the Herald Sun she was walking through the crowd to find the entrance when her husband was pushed to the ground.

“Unfortunately as we headed toward the door two gentlemen of Middle Eastern appearance deliberately moved into our path and blocked our way,” she said.

Sharon said the protesters then began “pushing and shoving” them.

In the video, her husband can be seen putting his hands in the air before being bowled over.

“I urged him to get up and the police appeared and manhandled him out of the crowd,” she said.

My heart f*cking breaks seeing this.

Jews in Melbourne trying to get to a Jewish community event.

Anti-Israel protesters spot his Yarmulke, block them, push them over and beat them up.

Melbourne Police aggressively detain THE JEWS who were just trying to get to the event. pic.twitter.com/xwQn3KLZwh

— Kosher🎗 (@KosherCockney) February 21, 2024

Police can then be seen moving through the crowd and grabbing him by the arms and escorting him out as protesters chant “free, free Palestine”.

“We were escorted away by police to chants of ‘get out you Zionist pigs’,” Sharon said.

Another protester came by and screamed ‘f--king dogs’ at us.”

Sharon, who noted they were not carrying Israeli flags but that her husband was wearing a kippah, questioned why they had been removed.

“We asked why we were being taken away rather than the violent people who assaulted us, but were told they were peaceful protestors and their job is to keep the peace,” she said.

“That violent mob are ready to explode at any time and the police actions of letting them hijack the streets and removing those pesky Jews is such an immoral and cowardly response.”

Members of the pro-Palestinian group clashed with opposition.

But Victoria Police Acting Inspector Leigh Howse said the couple, along with another Jewish man, had “disrupted” a speech and did not have a valid ticket to the event.

“This resulted in an escalation of tension,” he said.

He confirmed police had not removed any of the protesters involved because the group did not wish to make a complaint to police.

“At the time that he was pushed to the ground it was right in the midst of 200 people,” he said.

“A number of people were moved on throughout the rally to avoid tensions arising between opposing groups.”

Sharon and her husband, however, say they “repeatedly” tried to make a complaint, telling police they had been assaulted.

Mr Howse said he had reviewed footage of the incident and was “more than comfortable” with the actions of the officers involved.

The motion was voted down, resulting in jeers.

In a split decision between councillors, the Deputy Lord Mayor ultimately knocked down the motion, put forward by Cr Jamal Hakim.

Melbourne for Palestine organiser Noor Salman said it was “disheartening” to see the motion voted down.

”More than 13,000 children in Gaza have been killed and to say people are worried about putting stickers on shop windows is unbelievable,” she said.

The decision was jeered at as it was read out.

“We’re allowing members of council to vote against a motion that is calling for justice,” Ms Salman said.

Jewish community member Elyse, who spoke against the motion, said as police escorted them out after the meeting protesters began yelling “Jews and their money, look at them”.

“These protests are giving an immense platform to spew antisemitic tropes about Jews and money,” she said.

One bystander, Jonathan, who tried to shepherd the Jewish woman walking out of the venue, confirmed he heard similar antisemitic tropes.

“They were a menacing mob,” he said.

Originally published as Shock footage of fight at Town Hall pro-Palestine protest