Select Language:
Protesters booed and shouted at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during his visit to Australia’s largest mosque on Eid al-Fitr, expressing their anger over his support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Videos captured the scene roughly 15 minutes after Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke arrived at Lakemba Mosque in western Sydney to observe Ramadan’s end.
The demonstrators jeered, instructing Albanese and Burke to leave and branding them as “genocide supporters,” in reference to Israel’s casualties in Gaza. An organizer urged the crowd to remain calm and stop recording, emphasizing that it was a joyful Eid celebration. A security guard was seen physically removing a heckler from the scene before escorting him out.
As Albanese and Burke departed, hecklers continued to shout insults, including “Shame on you!” Despite the disruption, Albanese later described the event as “incredibly positive,” noting that the community managed to handle the few troublemakers.
He explained that some of the unrest was tied to the government’s recent designation of Hizb ut-Tahrir as a banned hate organization, a move partly motivated by laws enacted after a deadly shooting at Bondi Beach in December. Notably, protesters had also gathered in February when Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited, to show support for Jewish Australians reportedly targeted by gunmen inspired by ISIS during the Bondi attack, leading to multiple arrests during clashes with police.
ChatGPT
Perplexity
Gemini AI
Grok AI
