‘Deplorable': Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan lashes masked protesters who burned Australian flag at Melbourne pro-Palestine rally
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Melbourne in support of Palestine, calling for an end to the humanitarian crisis that has gripped the Gaza Strip for months.
A planned crossing of the King St Bridge was stopped by police in riot gear – leading to confrontations and protesters splintering off and heading back to their starting point at the State Library.
Extraordinary scenes emerged on the Spencer St bridge after some protesters stopped on the side of the road.
Photos and footage at the scene capture the masked demonstrators burning the Australian flag and spray-painting 'Abolish Australia' on the road.
Some broke out into chants of 'Death, death, death to the IDF' – referring to the Israeli Defence Force.
Speaking on the Today show on Monday, Ms Allan condemned the incident.
'It's deplorable, it's a deplorable action' she told the program.
Ms Allan reiterated the rest of the protest was 'peaceful' and there were no arrests.
She said it was 'completely cowardly' to turn up to protests while masked, as it could 'only signal the intent'.
Footage from Channel 9 captured the group disrupting traffic – one furious woman on her way to hospital getting out of her car to give them a spray.
It is not clear whether the group are associated with the Palestine Action Group, which organised the protest along the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The group has been contacted for comment.
Australia has no law that specifically criminalises the burning of the national flag.
In NSW, historic scenes emerged on Sunday as almost 100,000 demonstrators peacefully marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge after attempts to block the protest failed in court.
Protesters crossed the bridge about 2pm, chanting 'free, free Palestine' and waving placards.
NSW Police were on scene to keep the peace after their attempt to stop the demonstration – on the grounds it would endanger public safety – failed.
At 3pm, they issued an urgent request for protesters to stop the march on safety fears, citing a possible 'crush' at the northern end of the bridge.
'Participants have been asked to stop proceedings across the bridge to avoid a crowd crush at the northern end of the harbour bridge,' the police said in what they called a 'protest safety intervention'.
'Once the procession has come to a halt, protesters will be asked to turn around and walk back toward Wynyard to avoid a risk of injury due to the huge number of people taking part.
'Police believe the safest route back is to walk back across the bridge given the huge numbers to avoid overwhelming the public transport system and a potential crowd crush scenario.'
The rally otherwise proceeded peacefully and without any significant incidents.
Famous faces joined in the protest, including former NSW Labor titan and former foreign affairs minister Bob Carr, soccer icon Craig Foster and Julian Assange.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
7 minutes ago
- ABC News
Conviction, controversies and the collapse of Gareth Ward's Liberal career
Gareth Ward once said joining the Young Liberals set his life on course. That course would lead him to become one of the most powerful politicians in NSW, but it would ultimately end with him in prison as a convicted sex offender. While the 44-year-old's conviction on charges of sexual intercourse without consent and indecent assault has dominated headlines, it is only another chapter in a story marked by a long trail of controversy, personal turmoil and growing political isolation. On the eve of his expulsion from NSW Parliament, Ward finally confirmed his resignation on Friday. But his time in state parliament began 14 years ago in 2011, when he was elected the Member for Kiama as a rising star of the Liberal Party. Ward's political and personal identity has always been deeply tied to the Liberal Party. In his inaugural speech to the New South Wales Parliament in May 2011, he reflected on joining the Shoalhaven Young Liberals at age 16 as a defining moment. "If ever there was a point in my life on which the rest of it turned, no doubt that was it," he said. He told the parliament of his rise through the Young Liberals' ranks, founding the first Illawarra branch, and forging friendships with future leaders like Matt Kean and Dominic Perrottet. He also showed a lighter side, sharing his love of music that, years later, earned him a reputation as a jaunty fiddle player with a witty flair at Liberal Party gatherings, a fact he joked about in his speech. "I still practise today but rarely play in public — after all, no-one is a fan of a fiddling politician," he said. In 2017, when he was the parliamentary secretary for the Illawarra and South Coast, and parliamentary secretary for education, Ward revealed he had been targeted in a blackmail attempt involving a hidden camera in a Times Square massage parlour. Ward said he was on personal leave in New York and contacted police after two men turned up at his hotel room and demanded money. The MP told the ABC he had booked what he believed was a standard massage but asked the men to leave when "more was on offer." They began filming him and allegedly threatened to post the footage online unless he paid them $1,000. Ward reported the incident to hotel security and the New York Police Department, later calling the ordeal "terrifying". A factional ally of then-premier Gladys Berejiklian, Ward was promoted to the ministry in 2019 and given responsibility for the families, communities and disability services portfolio. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in March 2020, just days before the state's first COVID-19 public health order, Ward was making headlines for all the wrong reasons after he was found naked and disoriented outside his Potts Point apartment. Police escorted him back to his unit twice on the same night, following what Ward said was the after-effects of a medical procedure. In July last year, Ward was again involved in a similar incident involving public confusion and partial undress. News Corp has published details and grainy CCTV footage along with details of a report that Ward arrived at parliament early on July 21 "wearing a t-shirt, underwear and socks" and with a gash on his head. At the time, Premier Chris Minns described Ward's behaviour as a "major concern". The situation was referred to the Standing Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Ethics, which in December cleared him of any wrongdoing. On his home patch, Ward's combative style fuelled numerous disputes. In February 2016, he called neighbouring Shellharbour Labor MP Anna Watson "a grub" during a heated parliamentary clash, a feud that continued for years. In September 2018, Ms Watson asked Ms Berejiklian in question time whether she had received complaints about Ward's behaviour, including "anger management issues" and "an issue with women". Ms Berejiklian replied she had not seen such complaints but expected MPs to behave appropriately. The animosity escalated in 2022 when Ward, suspended from Parliament, called Watson "a jealous little brat with a face to match", comparing her unfavourably to his dog. While Ward appeared to enjoy the sparring with the Labor MP, more serious allegations of bullying were made by local Liberal women. Antagonism that had mostly been kept internal spilled into federal parliament in September 2018 when the Liberal MP for Gilmore, Ann Sudmalis, publicly named Ward for her decision not to recontest her seat. In a speech on September 17, Ms Sudmalis unleashed, telling the parliament, "Bullying, betrayal and backstabbing have been the hallmarks of one of my state Liberal colleagues, Gareth Ward, over the past six and a half years." She accused him of branch stacking and said it was "not the first time that Gareth has flexed his vengeance on strong Liberal women". In 2023, then-opposition leader Chris Minns told voters in Kiama he would refuse to engage with Ward if they returned the MP to parliament while he was facing the sexual assault charges. Off the back of Labor's victory, Mr Minns made good on his promise and refused to answer the MP's questions, raising serious concerns about his ability to advocate for his constituents in Kiama. Ward's newfound political irrelevance became apparent during a particularly farcical press conference later that year. The now-independent MP held a media conference announcing a $15.97 million upgrade to Shellharbour Airport — a project actually funded in the 2019-20 state budget. Ward blamed the government for providing incorrect briefing notes, but critics said there was no new money, suggesting either a misunderstanding or a deliberate attempt to mislead. Ward often tried to bait the government into action from the crossbench on issues like increased fines for driving through floodwaters and voter ID cards, but it was dismissed as political posturing and sharply shut down by the government. As the trial neared, Ward's political standing deteriorated further, with some Liberals blaming him, in part, for the party's loss of Shelley Hancock's former South Coast seat to Labor at the 2023 election. Even after the conviction, Ward fought to the end to hold on to his position of power and influence, ignoring repeated calls to resign and testing the push for his expulsion through the courts. He eventually resigned on Friday before a vote in parliament to expel him. From the power and privilege of a Minister of the Crown, to a crossbench MP facing a sexual assault trial, to the 10 long weeks in the dock and now a jail cell awaiting sentencing, Ward's story is one of shattered ambition and fallen grace.
ABC News
37 minutes ago
- ABC News
Defence and trade top of the agenda for Anthony Albanese's meeting in Queenstown
Defence and trade are expected to be at the centre of discussions between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Kiwi counterpart Christopher Luxon when the pair meet in Queenstown on Saturday. How the two nations continue to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the question of recognising a Palestinian state are also likely to be discussed, after both leaders spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron about the issue this week. Neither Australia nor New Zealand have set a timeline for recognising a Palestinian state, despite other like-minded countries including France, Canada and the United Kingdom all signalling they would do so at a United Nations meeting next month. Mr Albanese on Thursday flagged that would be among the issues discussed. "No doubt as well, our cooperation on international issues, including … we have released a number of joint statements together with other like-minded countries on the Middle East, for example," he told reporters. Talks between Australia and New Zealand are held annually, with the countries taking turns to host visits. Outside of that, the two leaders have met on the sidelines of several summits, making this their seventh meeting. Jennifer Parker, a defence analyst at the Australian National University, said defence would again be a central discussion point, including procurement. She speculated New Zealand might follow Australia's decision this week to award a major contract to Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to build new warships. "I think New Zealand is highly likely to, so long as they're not priced out of the market, make the decision to also acquire the Mogami frigate," she said. "Their two ANZAC-class frigates … are having the same problem that ours do. They're old, they're overused and they need to be replaced." Ms Parker said the pair was also likely to discuss defence spending, given the global push, particularly from the United States, to increase it — although she said that might be done privately to avoid further questions on Australia's spend. New Zealand has vowed to boost its spend to about 2 per cent of GDP within eight years, while Australia's forecast is about 2.33 per cent, a much higher dollar figure given the size of the economies. The analyst also hoped the pair would discuss their "increasing alignment" on China's behaviour in the region and the changes in the United States. Prior to the visit, Mr Luxon released a statement highlighting the strength of the alliance. "In today's uncertain world, one certainty is that the Australia-New Zealand relationship is the bedrock as we look out into the world," he said. Mr Albanese struck a similar tone. "As neighbours, friends and family, the bonds between our countries, our economies, and our communities are unmatched," he said in a statement. As well as formal bilateral talks, Mr Albanese — who will be joined by his partner Jodie Haydon — is expected to meet with business leaders, attend an ANZAC memorial service and get a glimpse of nature. Ahead of the meeting, both leaders also highlighted their desire to boost economic ties. "With two-way trade of $32 billion, I look forward to discussing what more we can do as we tackle economic challenges on both sides of the Tasman," Mr Luxon said. Mr Albanese said he looked forward to discussing how the nations could "work together to build on our Single Economic Market, modernise the rules-based trading system, deepen our alliance, and back our Pacific partners". While both leaders have emphasised the long and close friendship between the countries, disagreements have emerged at previous meetings — including under other leaders — particularly over Australia's policy to deport Kiwi criminals, even if they have spent the vast majority of their life in Australia.
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Working from home hinders unique in-person collaboration, despite the 'fun' of zany zoom backgrounds and muted mics
The critics of Jacinta Allan's monstrous idea that there should be a right to work two days a week from home are getting distracted. They're attacking it on economic modelling or legal principles. Correct, but wrong. The true reason this idea should be fought with the intensity of 300 Spartans is because working from home is, and always has been, awful. I thought Australians agreed to leave everything we did in Covid behind in a group-enforced amnesia, but somehow 'working from home' has endured. We live in an age where we are both obsessed with maintaining a work/life balance, and also finding new ways to bring our work into the areas we devote to life. I'm not blind to the benefits. I am writing this article from home, outside my office hours. I'm currently wearing gym shorts and a winter coat for some reason, and whenever I want to procrastinate I can flick my television back over to Fox Footy. When I was working from home during Covid, I managed to both perform my work duties and lead Wycombe Wanderers to Premier League glory in the 2036 season while playing the 'Football Manager' video game. But today I can also acknowledge that if I were in the Sky News offices writing this article, I would be done by now. And the reason for that is simple - I am a human being, a social animal. Thousands of years of genetics has made me both crave and thrive within social settings - for example, a building containing people I know and share common ground with may be able to help me with information I need, and give me a chance to demonstrate value by sharing information with them. Coworkers, we might call them. An active environment makes me active. Instead I am in my living room not having said a word for hours, only reminded that an outside world exists every time my phone pings. But of course, this is where working from home advocates will refer to their substitution for person-to-person contact: the Zoom call. Yes, this game changing invention that finally answered the question we all had - how can I have all of my coworkers in my house at the same time? Now the person that you may delay going to the staff kitchen to avoid seeing is in your guest bedroom, and he's not impressed by your furniture. My wife's coworkers spend an hour a day in a room that, when friends come over, we don't include in the house tour. But Zoom calls are fun. Sometimes someone forgets to turn their microphone on - hilarious! - and sometimes someone comes in with a zany background - interesting! - but these classic moments don't come close to group conversations and the relationships forged by in-person connections. And those relationships are key, especially for young workers looking to establish themselves. What is better for someone starting out their professional journey - the coffee break in your kitchen, or the coffee break at the cafe with seasoned coworkers who can let the new person know how things 'really work' around the office? What about the first Friday night drink - in front of a television at home or in front of higher ups at the office giving you a chance to form a good reputation in front of them? Forget young workers. Which of those sound more meaningful for workers at any stage of their career? When we're all just an icon on Slack or Teams, it's hard to form any actual connections. The working from home revolution is often seen as workers reclaiming rights over their conditions from greedy corporate bosses, who would rather whip them into soulless concrete mausoleums so they can more effectively rule over them with an iron fist. But those same mausoleums help workers too. We aren't supposed to live in self-imposed silos, connecting with each other through pings and whoops and buzzes. We're supposed to talk, connect, share and impart face to face - it's literally what our genetics push us to do. That's why Jacinta Allan's idea must fail. Yes it's bad for the economy, yes it's legally unsound. But deeper than that is our society is running towards this concept of working that makes living less meaningful - just like how delivery apps are making nights out obsolete, or what dating apps are doing to spontaneous conversation. Technology's ability to provide immediate convenience is lulling people into thinking that it's a preferable lifestyle. Our phones, laptops and televisions are Soma pills the government didn't even need to manufacture. At the risk of accidentally plagarising the Unabomber's manifesto, we're letting technology drive us away from our natural state. So log off of Zoom, turn off Netflix and get back to the office and talk to someone. James Bolt is a contributor
