Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in the Melbourne and Sydney CBDs as the third anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel was marked.
The coordinated surprise assault, which targeted a music festival and nearby communities in southern Israel, was carried out by Hamas, the group that controls Gaza.
About 1,200 people, most of them civilians, were killed in the attack. Israel responded with a massive and prolonged bombing campaign in Gaza.
Separate pro-Palestinian groups in Australia organised vigils in Sydney and Melbourne to coincide with the anniversary, although some fellow pro-Palestinian organisations opposed holding the events on that date.
Tensions rose quickly in Melbourne as demonstrators faced police while a rival Israeli group staged a counter-protest. Images from the scene showed protesters, including Israeli activist and broadcaster Avi Yemini, shouting at officers.
The Sydney gathering was considerably calmer, drawing no more than 150 people as speakers read poetry to the crowd. It took place after weeks of criticism from politicians, including Premier Chris Minns, who described the vigils as “heartless”.
The “Vigil for Gaza”, held outside Town Hall, was organised by Jews Against the Occupation ’48 and supported by several pro-Palestinian groups. It was promoted with the slogan “Don’t Let Israel Steal the Date”.
Event promotional material said that “its genocidal airstrikes began on October 7th 2023” and called for a vigil to mark the date in solidarity with Gaza.
Pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police in Melbourne on Wednesday, October 7
A large police presence monitored the vigil in Melbourne’s CBD
The event marked the third anniversary of Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel
Holding the vigil on the anniversary also attracted strong criticism from NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane, who addressed the issue on Tuesday.
Sloane called on the NSW Government to oppose the event, describing it as insensitive and deliberately provocative.
“It is inappropriate, it is sickening, it is cruel, and it’s provocative to be holding these events on October 7,” she said.
“To do it on any other day would show a little bit of credibility. To do it on this day shows their true motivation, which is to provoke, which is to make people feel uneasy, and that is not on.
“At a time when we all need to be coming together and respectfully sharing opinions, this is the antithesis of that.”
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Minns was similarly critical of the Sydney vigil, calling it “heartless” while acknowledging that authorities had no legal grounds to stop it.
“There are some people suggesting it can be stopped. The Constitution doesn’t allow that,” Minns said.
“They can certainly do that. It’s not against the law, but, as a citizen, I’ve got a right to make a judgement on it, too.
Organisers said the Melbourne event, pictured above, and the Sydney vigil aimed to draw attention to Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza
Professional activist Josh Lees was a prominent figure at the Sydney protest
The Sydney vigil (above) was notably quieter than the Melbourne event
NSW Premier Chris Minns had labelled the vigil as ‘heartless’ given it marked the date of Hamas’ massacre of Israeli civilians
Attempts to stop the event in Sydney (above) were found to have no legal basis
‘I think these organisers, in many cases, thrive on the notoriety and the attention they get.’
The Sydney event was one of two pro-Palestinian commemorations planned for October 7 in NSW. A separate gathering in Wollongong, organised by Wollongong Friends of Palestine, was advertised as a three-hour event to ‘stop and remember the martyrs’.
The wording used in promotional material for the Wollongong event also attracted criticism from opponents, who argued the language was offensive given the significance of the anniversary for the Jewish community.
Organisers of the Town Hall vigil defended the choice of date, arguing that October 7 also marked the beginning of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas attacks.
Material circulated ahead of the event said the ‘Gaza Uprising on 7 October 2023’ must be viewed in the context of decades of occupation.
They also highlighted that Israeli airstrikes began later that day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Israel was at war.
The promotional material also referenced actions taken by Israel in the days after the attacks, including allegations of war crimes that have been the subject of international legal proceedings.
– READ MORE: Israel marks third anniversary of October 7 atrocity