PM’s warning for Palestine backers ahead of attack date

Supporters of Palestine have been warned they will damage their political cause if they take to the streets to hold rallies on the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks.

On the eve of the second anniversary of the massacre in Israel which claimed more than 1200 lives and saw another 250 taken hostage, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged Australians to respect the sombre occasion.

“Tomorrow is not a day for demonstrations. I think that for people who engage and want to support or say they’re supporting the Palestinian cause, it will not advance it,” he told reporters on Monday.

“It will set it back in terms of support here in Australia.

“It will be a sombre day for Jewish Australians, but for Jewish people everywhere, but for people as well who just regard human rights and decent human behaviour.”

Radical Anti-Israel group, Stand4Palestine Australia is planning a “Glory to our Martyrs” protest in Sydney’s Bankstown on Tuesday, coinciding with the anniversary of the deadliest single-day attack on Jews since the Holocaust.

“Confronting two years of genocide; honouring two years of resistance,” the event’s tagline reads in material shared on social media over the weekend.

On Tuesday the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader are both due to make a statement to Parliament ahead of Question Time to commemorate the victims of the Hamas atrocity.

“It will be a sombre day for Jewish Australians, but for Jewish people everywhere, but for people as well who just regard human rights and decent human behaviour,” Mr Albanese said.

“People were massacred who were attending young people attending a music festival. And terrorism needs to be opposed every time, unequivocally called out, that’s what my Government will continue to do.”

Tuesday’s statement to parliament by both leaders follows the Albanese government’s decision to formally recognise Palestinian statehood at the United Nations in September.

On Tuesday Jewish vigils will commemorate the loss of lives and the suffering of the hostages at the hands of Hamas, while others will gather to remember the thousands of Palestinians killed since Israel launched its offensive military in Gaza.

A vigil for Gaza will be held at Sydney’s Town Hall on Monday before organisers head to court on Tuesday to fight to hold a protest outside the Opera House on Sunday.

NSW Police are trying to shut down the protest citing safety concerns, while Jewish and other leaders have condemned it as insensitive for being held around the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.

Another pro-Palestine vigil will be held in Melbourne on Tuesday evening, while a “united community protest for Gaza” will take place in Sydney.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said it was “deeply disrespectful” for the vigil to take place on the same date as the October 7 attack.

“Those who want to see peace come to the Middle East would not be behaving in this way, would not be choosing to use a date where too many Jewish people lost their lives at the hands of a terrorist organisation,” she said.

On Wednesday pro-Gaza demonstrators in Western Australia are planning a gathering in Margaret River to raise Palestinian flags and chant their way through the centre of town.

Meanwhile the Department of Foreign Affairs has warned Australians to be aware of violent demonstrations that may occur worldwide marking the anniversary of the October 7 attacks.

“Protests and unrest linked to the situation in the Middle East may occur in countries worldwide, including around the 7 October anniversary of the Hamas terror attacks in Israel,” it said in a Smartraveller update on Friday.

“If you’re an Australian travelling overseas, be aware of any protests nearby. Protests may occur around embassies.”