New South Wales (NSW) Labor Party premier Chris Minns on Wednesday apologized to the Jewish community for the vicious “Gas the Jews” pro-Hamas rally at the famed Sydney Opera House on Monday night, acknowledging the heinous display made Jews feel unsafe and prevented them from commemorating the victims of the Hamas atrocity.
“I really want to ensure that the Jewish community in New South Wales feel that they can have full access to this city, that they can enjoy its life, that they can be part of its culture, that they can commemorate together during solemn occasions,” said Minns.
“The intentions of the government were very straightforward – to light up the Opera House to create a place and a space for the community to come together to commemorate the horrific scenes that we’ve seen in Israel over the last 48 hours. And we didn’t do that,” said Minns.
News 9 Australia confirmed on Wednesday that the one and only person arrested at the virulent hate rally was the lone Jewish man who attempted to counter-protest by waving an Israeli flag. The peaceable and law-abiding man was swiftly taken into custody by the police, who ignored the burning Israeli flags and calls for a new Holocaust while they hauled him away.
Australian officials claimed the Jewish man was taken into protective custody for his own safety, which would be bad enough if true, but video from the scene on Monday captured police telling the man he was “arrested in relation to a breach of the peace.”
Minns insisted the police are still investigating the “Gas the Jews” rally, which was held without proper permits and involved illegal use of fireworks and flares.
“The idea that they’re going to commandeer Sydney’s streets is not going to happen. Shouting racial epithets is not the definition of a peaceful protest,” he said of the pro-Hamas demonstrators.
Minns’ apology was accepted by NSW Jewish Board of Deputies President David Ossip, but he added that Sydney’s Jewish community “will long remember the infamy and disgrace of what transpired.”
Australia’s former ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma, remained appalled by the government’s response to the rally on Monday night.
“How on earth did the New South Wales Government allow this to happen? How did they allow an important show of solidarity with the hundreds of victims of terrorism in Israel to be hijacked by extremists to applaud these very acts of terror?” he wrote on Instagram.
MP Allegra Spender, who represents a district near Sydney with a large Jewish population, called the Sydney Opera House rally “abhorrent” and said Australia’s Jewish community has been “subject to appalling abuse.”
“I am seeking an urgent explanation of how this was allowed to happen,” she said.
NSW police launched a program called “Operation Shield” on Wednesday to reinforce the “perception of safety, as well as actual safety” among the Jewish community. The head of the operation, NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon, urged Jewish parents to send their children to school, “knowing that the police will be supporting them.”
“We understand that there is very reasonable fear within the Jewish community. We have certainly accelerated the proactive patrols we’re doing within that community,” said acting police commissioner David Hudson.
“It’s fully expected that those terrorist attacks and the resulting responses will have a long tail for the foreseeable future and we need to prepare for that,” he said.
Minns on Wednesday said the paperwork was submitted for another “Free Palestine” rally on Sunday, but he expected the NSW police to deny it.
“The protest organizers have already proven they’re not peaceful. Shouting racial epithets is not the definition of a peaceful protest,” he said.
Hudson said the paperwork for the new pro-Hamas demonstration was not submitted in time.
“Police are currently in negotiations with the organizers of that event. It is unauthorized at this stage. Organizers might decide to move it and if that is the case, there will be considerations,” he said.
Pressed by reporters, Hudson admitted the police would be unlikely to use force to stop the Sunday event if the organizers proceeded anyway. He became evasive when asked if the police would take action against more chants of “Gas the Jews!” or other anti-Semitic rhetoric, admitting his department has received complaints about not arresting anyone at the Sydney Opera House hatefest.
NSW officials toughened their stances on Friday as the organizers of the pro-Hamas rally made it clear they intend to hold their event on Sunday, whether they have legal permission or not.
Hudson said the police wish to invoke special “stop and search” powers for the first time in 20 years. He said attendees of the rally would be required to identify themselves upon request rather than hiding behind masks, as many of the “Gas the Jews” demonstrators did.
As he did on Wednesday, Hudson on Friday urged Australians not to attend the Sunday pro-Hamas rally.
“The experience from Monday, and the admitted inability by the organizers of the event, who have come out and said they can’t control who attends apart from them, causes us great concern,” he explained.
“We are worried that a potentially violent protest will infringe upon the free movement of people who are here with their families to enjoy what hopefully will be a pleasant day within the city,” he said.
Minns announced three men were arrested on Friday for performing Nazi salutes outside the Jewish Museum of Australia in Sydney. The three men were taken into custody by a swift and sizable police response, which included searching their vehicle and closing roads around the area.
“I expect, and so do NSW Police, the full extent of the law will be applied to those people,” he said.
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