A pro-Palestine march has been approved for central Sydney with up to 10,000 demonstrators expected. Photo: AAP
Fallout from a pro-Palestine rally in Sydney is continuing as organisers promise a planned second protest will be peaceful.
Images and video of anti-Semitic chants being shouted and flares being set off on the steps of the Opera House, lit up on Monday night in the colours of the Israeli flag, were beamed around the world.
Rally organisers from the Palestine Action Group Sydney denounced the chants made by a small group of attendees, and said racism was not welcome at the event.
Hundreds marched to the steps of the Opera House in Sydney in solidarity with Palestinians.
They confirmed a second rally was planned to go ahead at Town Hall on Sunday afternoon.
Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni said what happened on Monday night was unacceptable but defended the right to protest in Australia.
“The reality of people coming together to express concerns about situations is that, at times, unwanted people come along and provoke unnecessary and unwanted actions,” he told Nine’s Today Show.
“Violence is never going to be an answer, as anti-Semitism is never the answer.”
Mr Mashni said the rally’s message of solidarity with Palestinians caught up in the Gaza conflict had been lost.
“Palestinians, we’re Australians, the most important thing is for us to come together,” he said.
“As human beings, we are sharing the pain and suffering, not only of the deaths of Israelis, we should also be feeling the pain of Palestinians.”
An attack by Islamist group Hamas that struck Israeli towns has left more than 1000 people dead.
Scores of others were taken hostage by the militants after they breached the fence enclosing Gaza on Saturday.
Australian Jewish communities are on high alert following the protests and reports of anti-Semitic threats.
Security around Jewish schools, synagogues and hospitals has been tightened due to fears of potential violence.
Melbourne Rabbi Daniel Rabin said he was getting phone calls from many scared people.
“There’s definitely an anxiety in the air, people are concerned seeing the rally in NSW (which) was just so distressing,” he said.
“We have to call it out … we have to ensure we don’t allow any of this sort of hate speech to be prolific in (Australia).”
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, who represents the federal seat of Sydney, said there were better ways to express concern for international events than attending Sunday’s rally.
“The sort of chants and behaviour that we saw from some people at the protests outside the Opera House, they have no place in Australia,” she told Sky News.
NSW Police have flagged a strong presence in Sydney’s CBD this weekend and have established a taskforce to co-ordinate responses to protest activity.
– AAP