Police make arrests as hundreds march in Australia to mourn Palestinians

Key Factors

Hundreds have marched in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide to commemmorate Palestinians and Lebanese killed.
Monday marks the primary anniversary of Hamas’ 7 October assault on Israel.
It additionally marks a 12 months of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, killing over 41,000 folks.

Hundreds of individuals gathered at rallies in Sydney and Melbourne to mourn Palestinians killed by Israeli bombardment that started a 12 months in the past after Hamas’ assault on Israel.

Demonstrators in Sydney, which numbered 10,000 in line with police, had been warned that displaying Hezbollah flags may quantity to a prison offence, as many individuals additionally gathered in solidarity with victims of Israel’s airstrikes on Lebanon.

Indicators from NSW Police had been displayed in English and Arabic on the Sydney rally, studying: “The Hezbollah flag, symbols and portraits of Hassan Nasrallah shouldn’t be displayed on the public meeting and will quantity to a prison offence”.

NSW Police confirmed a 56-year-old man was arrested and later charged, for holding up an Israeli flag with a Nazi swastika within the place of its Star of David.

Police checking inexperienced and yellow flags throughout a pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney. Supply: AAP / Mick Tsikas

Some people had been carrying flags with inexperienced and yellow, that are the colors of Hezbollah’s official ensign.

One man was questioned by police in Sydney for holding a inexperienced and yellow flag that includes a determine holding a gun within the air and writing in English.

Protester Shorna Southwell mentioned she’s been attending the rallies weekly dressed as a special princess.

She mentioned she wore costumes to make kids really feel protected on the protest and to unfold the message the protests are usually not violent.

Shorna Southwell has been coming to the protests nearly each week dressed as a special ‘princess’ to indicate kids that individuals care about their security and these protests are usually not violent. Supply: SBS Information / Phoebe Deas

Melbourne rally commemorates Palestinians killed

In Melbourne, 4 arrests had been made because the rallies lasted over 5 hours within the metropolis centre.

“Round 7,000 folks attended the demonstration and there have been no main problems with be aware reported to police, nevertheless, 4 folks had been arrested for public order associated issues,” a Victoria Police spokesperson mentioned in an announcement.

Some attendees had made paper kites with the names of Palestinian kids killed previously 12 months written on them.

Australian Palestine Advocacy Community president Nasser Mashni spoke of the Palestinians killed in Gaza, addressing enormous crowds gathered exterior the State Library of Victoria.

Paper kites with the names of Palestinian children

Paper kites with the names of Palestinian kids, in Melbourne. Supply: SBS Information / Tys Occhiuzzi

“It is shameful that we’re being requested to be respectful after we’ve had 365 October 7s on this interval,” he mentioned.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan mentioned Victoria Police had been ready to react to any incidents on the scheduled protests.

“They’re effectively ready with the instruments and the sources and the powers that they want to have the ability to reply to any situations that will threaten neighborhood security,” she mentioned.

A man in a black shirt and black and white scarf

Mohammed has attended the weekly protest in Melbourne for the primary time. Supply: Equipped / Tys Occhiuzzi

Australia’s Lebanese inhabitants is estimated at round 250,000.

Some, like Melbourne resident Mohammed, attended the weekly protest for the primary time this weekend.

“Kids shouldn’t be getting killed. Underneath any circumstances. Israeli, Muslim, Christian, Jewish – kids shouldn’t be killed,” he mentioned.

A woman wearing a keffiyeh and holding up her phone

Taznim mentioned 5 of her relations had been killed final night time. Supply: SBS Information / Tys Occhiuzzi

Palestinian girl Taznim instructed SBS Information 5 of her relations had been killed in a single day in Gaza.

“We’re devastated. It’s been a 12 months of getting information about households being annihilated in Gaza. It has to cease.”

Authorities says protests “regrettable”

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles criticised the timing of the protests.

“The protests which can be taking place over the course of as we speak and tomorrow are deeply regrettable,” he instructed ABC’s Insiders program.

“The anniversary of October 7 must be about October 7 and what occurred on that day was the lack of greater than 1,000 harmless lives.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns mentioned the timing of the demonstration lacked “compassion” and there was a excessive prospect of violence when tensions had been excessive.

NSW Police warning in opposition to Hezbollah flags throughout a Professional-Palestine rally in Sydney, 6 October 2024. Supply: AAP / aap

“Most individuals would agree that we’re not going to do a lot about Center Jap violence from Sydney, and now we have to do all the things we presumably can to forestall that form of violence in Sydney,” he mentioned.

Federal opposition residence affairs spokesman James Paterson mentioned the federal authorities ought to have made an even bigger effort to influence neighborhood leaders to not maintain the rallies.

“We’re not saying that you could’t protest the Palestinian trigger, we’re simply saying choose another day of the 12 months than October 7,” he instructed Sky Information.

Greater than 1200 folks had been killed through the October 7 assault and 250 folks had been taken hostage by Hamas, in line with the Israeli authorities.

In response, Israel unleashed a bombing marketing campaign and floor invasion of Gaza, killing nearly 42,000 folks, displacing 1.9 million and leaving one other 500,000 with catastrophic ranges of meals insecurity, native well being ministry sources report.

Israel’s army marketing campaign has now unfold to Lebanon because it hunts down senior figures in Hezbollah.

Hezbollah is a Lebanese Islamist political get together and militant group shaped in 1982 after Israeli forces invaded southern Lebanon that 12 months.

Folks have gathered in Australia on Sunday at a rally forward of the primary anniversary of Hamas’ 7 October assault on Israel. Supply: SBS Information / Tys Occhiuzzi

Hezbollah is listed as a terrorist organisation by nations together with Australia, the US, Germany and the UK. The European Union lists solely its army wing as a terrorist organisation.

Nonetheless, Hezbollah itself makes no distinction between its political and army wings.

With further reporting by AAP.