Melbourne News: in Melbourne (Melbourne) Police are on high alert as hundreds of people gather for a pro-Palestine rally. Hundreds of people have gathered on the steps of the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne for a pro-Palestine rally. A group of students is seen waving a Palestinian flag, which calls for “freedom and justice for Palestine”. The incident follows a similar rally in Sydney yesterday, which ended with anti-Semitic chants outside the Sydney Opera House. Police are patrolling the area around the library after seeing the growing crowd.
Free Palestine Melbourne organizer Bela Beraghi said the “peaceful” rally would act in solidarity with the Palestinian people. “I am concerned and I am here to show solidarity with the Palestinians and we will march peacefully,” she said, adding that Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen had earlier said she would meet with police to discuss plans for the rally. Allen told reporters today, “The Minister of Police also spoke to Cabinet on some of these matters. I think Vicpol is keeping a very close eye on the domestic situation, as you would expect.”
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I will hold further talks with the Chief Commissioner of Police later today. “I think we all understand that we have a right to come together in our democratic society. But it is time for the Israeli community to come together to show support, to show support. What we have seen are horrific attacks. We have strongly condemned it.” Some Jewish parents told Neil Mitchell that they decided to keep their children home from kindergarten because they feared they might be targeted.
Ellis said security and police presence around her child’s school has been increased. She said her husband took off their four-year-old son’s hat on his way to school this morning after witnessing “terrifying” scenes of protests last night. Ellis said parents have been messaging each other for the past two days asking why they are sending their children to school. It really scares us.”
About 1,000 attackers entered Israeli territory in a multi-pronged attack, killing hundreds of soldiers and civilians and taking dozens of hostages into Gaza. At least 600 people are said to have been killed in Israel. The number is the highest the country has seen in decades, and more than 300 are said to have been killed in Gaza.
“Most Jews are really scared, apart from feeling terrible about what’s happening in Israel and feeling helpless for our whole family,” Ellis told Neil Mitchell. Ellis said she no longer felt safe after watching footage from Sydney, where 900 pro-Palestine marchers joined a rally last night. “To keep Jews out of the opera house and allow hate speech instead really scares us,” he said.
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