In a shocking turn of events, hundreds of Australians took to the streets in Sydney and Melbourne, rallying against the Labor government's controversial anti-protest laws. But here's where it gets controversial: these laws are being introduced in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on Sydney's Jewish community, with the government exploiting the tragedy to silence dissent.
The recent shootings in Bondi Beach on December 14 have sparked a political firestorm. The establishment is using the shooters' targeting of Jewish individuals as an excuse to clamp down on protests against Israel's actions in Gaza, which many view as genocide. The government's narrative equates anti-genocide protests with antisemitism, a highly contentious claim.
The New South Wales (NSW) Labor government, under Premier Chris Minns, has taken the lead in this assault on free speech. Their provocative projection of the Israeli flag onto the Sydney Opera House in October 2023 set the tone for the crackdown. Now, Minns is pushing for harsh new laws to restrict protests, including a ban on the slogan "globalize the intifada."
But the controversy doesn't end there. In Victoria, Premier Jacinta Allan is following suit, and the federal Labor government is also ramping up efforts to curb freedom of speech and assembly under the guise of combating antisemitism. This coordinated effort has sparked outrage among activists and concerned citizens.
The Sydney rally, organized by Jewish anti-Zionist group Jews Against the Occupation '48 (JAO48) and activist group Stop the War on Palestine, attracted a diverse crowd of around 300 people. Workers, youth, and retirees from various backgrounds united to oppose the government's attempt to use the Bondi attack as a pretext to suppress democratic rights.
Attendees braved threats and intimidation from authorities, including Minns, federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese, and the NSW Police. Jewish participants, many of whom have been actively protesting against the Netanyahu regime's actions in Gaza, defiantly stood against accusations of being "self-hating Jews" or Nazi collaborators.
One powerful voice at the rally was Michelle Berkon, a Jewish activist who was forcibly removed by police from the official memorial in Bondi for wearing a keffiyeh, a Palestinian scarf. Berkon explained that she wore the scarf to counter the pro-Zionist efforts to exploit the tragedy, which saw Bondi Beach covered in Israeli flags.
Berkon's message was clear: "We gather here to hold a vigil for the victims of last weekend's massacre. We stand with those who wanted to show solidarity but couldn't, because they refused to associate with the flag of a state committing genocide."
The rally also featured Allon Uhlmann from JAO48, who accused Minns and federal antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal of demagoguery and malice. He argued that they blame the anti-genocide movement for the Bondi attack, vilifying hundreds of thousands of Australians who protested against the Gaza genocide and the political establishment's role in it.
Uhlmann highlighted the hypocrisy of Segal's silence regarding a November rally by the antisemitic National Socialist Network outside the NSW Parliament. He claimed that by allowing neo-Nazi demonstrations while attacking anti-genocide protests, Segal and Minns are encouraging violence against Jews.
Human rights lawyer Sara Saleh, of Palestinian descent, emphasized that the right to protest is a fundamental democratic freedom, not a gift from the government. She warned that criminalizing protests in one context could lead to broader restrictions, targeting striking workers and anyone challenging power structures. Saleh argued that anti-protest laws enable state-sanctioned violence without resistance.
Tim Roberts, president of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, warned that the government's actions threaten social cohesion. He urged attendees to oppose the laws vocally and persistently, suggesting that this can be done within the parliamentary system. Roberts praised the Greens and some Labor members for resisting the tide of repression and encouraged attendees to contact their MPs.
However, the rally also exposed the political limitations of the protest movement. Speakers criticized the pseudo-left organization Solidarity for insisting on giving a platform to pro-Palestine Labor figures at anti-genocide protests. Peter Moss, from Labor Friends of Palestine, claimed the government could be reformed from within, citing a recent anti-genocide protest attended by Labor members.
The reality, however, is that Labor MPs who claim to support Palestine readily voted for the government's anti-protest laws. Solidarity's Adam Adelpour denounced these laws but failed to offer a viable strategy to fight them. This is because Solidarity, despite criticizing the Minns and Albanese governments, ultimately defends Labor, which is leading the assault on democratic rights.
The appointment of Zionist lobbyist Jillian Segal as the "Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism" in 2024 further underscores Labor's agenda. Despite years of protests against the Israeli genocide, state and federal governments maintain their support for Israel and are now suppressing dissent with anti-democratic legislation. The working class must mobilize independently to oppose the genocide and defend democratic rights.
One protester, Giovanna (pseudonym), shared her perspective with reporters: "I stand in solidarity with the Jewish victims of the Bondi massacre. But we must keep things in perspective. Children are dying in Gaza, and the media largely ignores this. When we protest against the genocide, we're labeled antisemitic. Now, the government blames us for the Bondi tragedy. This is unacceptable."
Giovanna continued, "Minns is trying to stop our protests, first with the Sydney Harbour Bridge incident and now using the Bondi murders. This is not about antisemitism; it's about silencing support for Palestinians and our right to protest. Antisemitism is fueled by Netanyahu's false equation of Judaism with Zionism."
She concluded, "The Jewish community is horrified by the attacks in Bondi and the ongoing violence in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel's aggression extends beyond Gaza, impacting Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria. We must follow the example of Italian dockworkers and their national strike, standing in solidarity with Palestinians worldwide."
