Hundreds of protestors have descended on Sydney to call on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for more action to combat anti-Semitism in Australia.
More than 400 people brandishing the Star of David and placards descended onto Martin Place, in Sydney’s CBD, for the ‘Enough is Enough’ protest.
Attendees heard from a number of speakers at the protest urging Mr Albanese to take on a zero-tolerance approach to anti-Semitic attacks across Australia.
Signs being held by protestors read: ‘Albo the world is watching’ and ‘stop the hate mate’ while one replaced ‘antisemite’ on the iconic Vegemite logo.
Another sign labelled Foreign Affairs minister Penny Wong, ‘Penny Wrong’, after her support of a UN motion for a pathway to Palestinian statehood.
The protestors heard from Jewish leaders and politicians who declared recent anti-Semitic attacks had brought Australia was to a ‘tipping point’.
‘Terrorism lives among us and can even impact peaceful societies like ours here in Australia,’ Zionist Council of NSW‘s director of creative events and operations Hagit Ashual said.
The event follows two incidents across Australia and was held at the scene of the Lindt Cafe siege which brought Sydney to a halt 10 years earlier.
Hundreds of protestors have gathered in Sydney’s Martin Place to call on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to take more action against Anti-Semitism (pictured)
The ‘Enough is Enough’ event follows two recent anti-Semitic attacks across Australia and was held at the site of the Lindt Cafe siege on the terror attack’s 10th anniversary
Ms Ashual said Australia’s Jewish community has been waiting ’14 months for our government to take action’.
‘We are here to demand that our government take strong measures to stop anti-Semitism and bring back peace to our streets,’ she said.
‘We live in a democratic society, and we cherish that, but I must ask, how is it acceptable that week after week for over a year, aggressive and violent demonstrations have taken over our cities?’
One such incident occurred about 5km south-west of the protest in Woollahra on Wednesday where ‘Kill Israiel’ was found graffitied on a wall behind a burning car.
The suburb is home to a prominent Jewish community and was promptly labelled an ‘targeted attack’ by NSW Premier Chris Minns.
Another incident occurred the Friday prior when the Adass Israelsynagogue at Ripponlea in Glen Eira, south-east Melbourne, was set alight.
Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann said ‘two thugs’ had smashed the synagogue’s windows, threw fuel on the floor and then set it alight as people were preparing morning prayers.
‘This is no longer a threat, this is a reality in Australia in 2024,’ Rabbi Benjamin Elton of the Great Synagogue told the protest.
Attendees also labelled foreign affairs minister Penny Wong, ‘Penny Wong’, after she supported motions before the UN to provide Palestine a pathway to statehood
Protestors also rallied under the Australian flag and used icon Aussie logos such as the Vegemite logo calling anti-Semitism ‘unAustralian’ (pictured)
Ms Ashual also noted the ‘massive cost to the Australian taxpayer’ that recent pro-Palestine protests have accumulated for a police presence.
‘This amounts to millions of community dollars that should be used for good and peaceful purposes,’ she said.
‘These hate filled rallies are hijacking our cities and bringing our transport system to a halt.
‘It is evident now that the hate directed towards the Jewish people also intimidates Australian businesses and the wider Australian community.’
A number of attendees rallied under Australian flags while others of seperate Christian sects showed their support.
Liberal councillor for Hunters Hill, Carol Tannous-Sleiman, said recent tensions had resulted in actions she had ‘never seen before in Australia’.
Ms Tannous-Sleiman, of Lebanese Christian Maronite heritage, said she was regularly asked ‘which side’ of the Israeli-Gazan conflict because she was Arab.
‘The disgraceful undertones in Australia have evolved progressively over the last 14 months,’ she said.
‘From the prime minister to the foreign minister your lack of action is a disgrace. These are not just attacks on Jews but an attack on Australian mateship.’
