Tense footage has captured pro-Palestine activists and counter demonstrators trading blows during a paddle-out in Sydney‘s eastern suburbs.
Counter-protesters were initially held back by a line of police officers as the demonstration took off on the sand at Bondi Beach at 10am on Sunday.
Pro-Palestine activists had invited ‘surfers, Bondi residents and Palestine supporters’ to join the demonstration in the lead-up to the event.
A large group of counter protesters formed on the steps leading down to the beach, with several waving Australian and Israel flags.
‘Off the beach,’ the crowd chanted.
One man was filmed telling the pro-Palestinian activists to ‘go back to Lakemba’, while another woman joined in.
‘This is our land,’ she shouted. ‘We don’t come to Lakemba, don’t come to Bondi.’
The protest appeared to spiral after a number of demonstrators were seen clashing, with police forced to intervene and an officer heard yelling ‘stop’.
Tense footage has captured pro-Palestine activists and counter demonstrators trading blows during a paddle-out in Sydney ‘s eastern suburbs
Tense scenes have erupted after pro-Palestine activists staged a paddle-out in Sydney’s eastern suburbs
Footage showed counter-protesters held back by a wall of police officers as the demonstration took off on the sand at Bondi Beach at 10am on Sunday
One man was heard yelling: ‘Deport the lot of them.’
The Jews Against the Occupation, which organised the pro-Palestine demonstration, sparked backlash in the lead-up to the event.
The Australian Jewish Association argued it was provocative, as Bondi was known for its large Jewish population.
‘Bondi is on edge, everyone is nervous,’ AJA chief executive Robert Gregory said.
Waverley mayor Will Nemish also said no permission had been given for the demonstration.
‘I think it’s highly provocative. It’s completely unnecessary, and particularly on Father’s Day,’ he said.
‘I’ve raised this issue internally with council, with local members of Parliament, the police.’
‘I’ve also written to the Police Minister about this as well, asking the police to intervene and use their powers to do what they can in order to try to … stop the gathering from occurring.
Activists were waving Palestine flags during the paddle-out at Bondi on Sunday morning
Pro-Palestine activists were holding their demonstration on the sand while counter protesters watched on
A demonstrator waves a ‘Freedom for Palestine’ flag on the sand
‘Council hasn’t received any permission as part of its events policy, and even if an application were to be put to Council, we would not accept it.’
Jews Against the Occupation claimed the demonstration was peaceful, while organiser Michelle Berkon said pro-Israel groups could not fairly claim Bondi as their ‘backyard’.
