The Victorian Labor government is using the firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue last month as an excuse to crack down on protesters.
The synagogue was attacked in the early hours of 6 December. More than a month later, a joint counter-terrorism team has failed to name a suspect.
But that didn’t stop Premier Jacinta Allan on 17 December announcing plans for a new law aimed at curbing the rights of demonstrators in the name of “social cohesion”.
“We’re going to give more powers to police to weed out and stamp out the influence of extreme and radical participants in public protests.”
She flagged measures including a ban on wearing masks, explicitly arguing that protesters should not be able to protect themselves from police use of capsicum spray.
There will also be bans on the flags of resistance organisations and the carrying of locks, rope and glue, with police given stop and search powers and the power to destroy items.
Allan went further, proposing that “multicultural” organisations would need to sign up to a social cohesion pledge to get public money—a racist requirement that apparently will not be required of “Australian” groups.
And she indicated that the law would create safe zones around religious buildings, potentially putting large areas of the Melbourne CBD out of bounds. There is a synagogue just 300 metres from the steps of parliament.
In doing so, Allan is following in the footsteps of NSW Labor Premier Chris Minns, who said he was opposed to worshippers “being heckled on the way in to observe your faith” despite the fact this has not happened at any synagogue in the state.
A Free Palestine Melbourne statement rightly argued, “Religious expression should be respected by those who protest, but exclusion zones would inordinately limit march routes and the use of public areas.”
The measure would mean that gatherings outside Catholic churches in protest at child sex abuse cases would be illegal.
Crude slur
Allan made a crude link between the weekly rallies for Palestine and other solidarity actions and the firebombing, attacking “a tendency for extreme, dangerous and radical protest that is allowing antisemitism and hate to thrive within it”.
Her speech echoed arguments from other defenders of genocide.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu linked the firebombing to Australia voting in the United Nations against Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, putting it bluntly, “Anti-Israel sentiment is antisemitism.”
Jillian Segal, appointed as antisemitism envoy by Anthony Albanese, called for restrictions on when and where pro-Palestinian protests could take place.
The argument that the weekly Palestine rallies have stoked antisemitism is a crude slur. Jews attend regularly and there are often Jewish speakers on the platform. Organisers are clear that no hate speech will be tolerated.
Even Victoria Police have had to admit that Palestine rallies are not a threat to Jews.
Ice Hockey Australia recently cancelled the world championships in Melbourne, claiming Israel’s presence would make it too dangerous.
Its president wrote on 28 December, “Anti-Israel protests and activities (in Melbourne) have escalated significantly since we were awarded the championship and there are now significant concerns regarding safety and security of the event.”
But a police spokesperson responded, saying, “There are currently no known or specific threats to any Victorian organisation, infrastructure or event. Police encourage people to go about their daily business.”
In other words, the weekly Palestine rallies and other solidarity events are not (and have never been) a threat to Jews in Melbourne.
What they have been is a “threat” to the legitimacy of the Zionist narrative—calling out genocide makes genocide supporters rightly uncomfortable.
Insidious
The details of the bill are yet to be published. But it has already been roundly condemned by organisations such as Free Palestine Melbourne, the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) and Labor Friends of Palestine (LFOP).
The ICV said, “The proposal to crack down on protests in response to recent attacks against Melbourne’s Jewish community is an insidious attempt to conflate the Palestinian cause and peaceful protests with antisemitic violence.
“The proposal also makes no mention of Islamophobia, which has increased more than 10-fold since 2023.”
An LFOP statement said, “We are proud to join peaceful protests every Sunday attended by thousands of Victorians, including members of the Jewish community, in solidarity with the people of Gaza who are being massacred by the Israeli state.
“Labor Friends of Palestine will continue to peacefully protest and organise against the genocide in Gaza, to call for the end of Israeli military occupation; and for the Australian and Victorian Governments to abide by international law by sanctioning all military trade and co-operation with Israel.”
Activists have held a first meeting to organise a rally when Labor’s bill is presented to parliament.
The threatened legislation is an ugly attempt by the Allan government to criminalise solidarity with Palestine. We need to build mass opposition to halt Labor’s plans in their tracks.
By David Glanz
Email for details of the next organising meeting in Melbourne.
