Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that October 7 is “not a day for demonstrations”, as pro-Palestine groups organise protests in NSW and Victoria this weekend to mark the second anniversary of the atrocities in which Hamas militants murdered 1200 people and took another 250 captive.
Israel’s ensuing invasion of Gaza was labelled a genocide in a landmark United Nations inquiry a fortnight ago.
Albanese called for “decent human behaviour” to mark October 7, as Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan condemned “deeply disrespectful” plans by pro-Palestinian groups to protest on the anniversary of the Hamas massacre that incited the war in Gaza.
Pro-Palestine protesters have been marching through the streets of Sydney each week for two years.Credit: Getty Images
With Israel and Hamas inching towards acceptance of a US-brokered peace plan to end a catastrophic conflict that has razed the Gaza Strip and killed an estimated 67,000 people, Albanese warned that any protests on Tuesday would undermine support for the Palestinian cause in Australia.
Allan said anyone who protested on October 7 did not want peace in the Middle East or social harmony in Australian cities. “I condemn that behaviour,” she said. “It shouldn’t be occurring, and those who are choosing to mark this day with protest clearly are not acting in the interests of peace or supporting our great multicultural state.”
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