Herzog rally: Thousands chant ‘Long live the intifada’ in Perth protest against Israeli President in Australia

Thousands of West Australians took to the streets of Perth CBD to protest against the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who was invited by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the wake of the Bondi terror attack. Rallies happened across the country protesting against President Herzog’s trip, where he visited Sydney on Monday morning to commemorate the 15 killed in the Bondi Beach mass shooting targeting Jewish people. He later met with politicians and Jewish community leaders. Among the nationwide protests was a rally in Forrest Place in the Perth CBD on Monday evening, where thousands of people attended. It’s the same location a 31-year-old man allegedly threw a homemade explosive bomb into a crowd of more than 2500 protesters at an Invasion Day rally on January 26. Many protesters were adorned with keffiyehs with signs and Palestinian flags also being held among the crowd. ‘War criminals aren’t welcome here’, ‘Is this the “social cohesion” you want Albo?’, and ‘Long live the intifada’ were among the signs. A lone man stood in the middle of the rally wearing an ‘I stand with Israel’ shirt before the protest began. Police approached him twice and told him to move out of the main area where people were protesting. Police officers were strategically placed on the outskirts of the protest on both the upper and lower levels of Forrest Chase. Speakers including Jews for Palestine WA Janet Parker, Academics for Palestine WA Victoria Mason, Students for Palestine WA Layla Seif, and Australian Palestine Advocacy Network Hiba Farra called for President Herzog to be arrested rather than welcomed by the Albanese Government. “It is shameful that right now in this country, you have more chance of being arrested for peacefully protesting this genocide than the guy who incited a genocide,” Greens MP Sophie McNeill said. The protesters marched around the block following the rally chanting slogans like, “Say it loud, say it clear, Herzog is not welcome here” and “Albanese you can’t hide for supporting Genocide.” Protests were also held in Margaret River and Albany on Monday evening. Tens of thousands of Australians protested across the country including in Sydney where people descended on Town Hall with police officers stationed around the edge of the crowd and on every nearby street. Protesters in Melbourne were vowing to shut down the city, blocking Flinders Street Station and blocking trams. Earlier in the day, Premier Roger Cook backed West Australians right to protest against the visit of the Israeli President but said it had to be done in a safe manner. “I know the police will be working very closely with the organisers, but also making sure that they can provide a safe environment for those people to express their views,” he said. “Part of what we do in our great democracy is that we express our views, that is their democratic right, we express our views, both for and against things that people see going on around the world, and that’s one of the great freedoms we have in our democracy. “But with democracy and with the right to protest, also comes the obligations as a citizen to continue to make sure that we live in a safe and peaceful and inclusive community. “That’s why I urge everyone who’s protesting today to do so in the spirit of those principles.”