Sydney, the largest city in Australia, saw thousands of people participate in a pro-Palestinian march on Saturday, October 21, despite worries that the event might be banned after some people at a previous demonstration screamed anti-Jewish slurs.
Nearly two weeks of heavy air and artillery attacks have killed thousands of civilians, according to the Gazan officials, prompting protests throughout the globe that demand a stop to Israel's bombing of Gaza.
For Palestinians, From Australians
According to the Palestine Action Group, which organized Saturday's march in Sydney, about a crowd of 15,000 showed off to scream "Palestine will never die" and wave Palestine flags. The downtown streets were blocked for the occasion, and a police helicopter flew above while mounted cops patrolled on horseback, as reported by Reuters.
A representative for the Palestine Action Group, Amal Naser, and the police have both confirmed that no arrests were made during the march.
Barbara O'Neill, one of the protesters, called Palestinians his brothers and sisters and said, "They have been suffering genocide publicly and in a very high-profile way."
Rally participant James McGlone argued that the public has an appropriate interest in knowing the status of the Palestinians. "If they knew what the state of Israel has done and is continuing to do, they would support Palestine," he added.
Doaa, a protester who declined to provide her last name, said, "I'm here because this is a humanitarian cause first and foremost. And I'm supporting, you know, humanity in every way."
Thousands of people attended mostly peaceful marches for and against Palestine all around Australia this weekend. Further events are planned in the state capitals of Brisbane, Perth, and Hobart, according to the Palestine Action Group.
Meanwhile, despite all these supports, Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, warned that Saturday's Sydney event incited greater hate in Australia and damaged delicate social cohesiveness. Ryvchin's group is a leading organization representing the Jewish community in the country.
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Prior Demonstrations
Two days after the Hamas assault, a controversial video showed a small group yelling "Gas the Jews" during a demonstration outside the Sydney Opera House. Laters, the premier of New South Wales, Australia, issued an apology.
In a report by The Times of Israel, Sydney's famous opera house was illuminated in the colors of the Israeli flag on October 9. Chris Minns said in a statement that his local government had endeavored to provide a location and space for Jews to grieve victims of the assaults in Israel. Yet, he confirmed that racial epithets and hostility were spread outside the opera theater.
Over 1,000 people attended the pro-Palestinian march at the time, which burned an Israeli flag and fired flares.
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