Peaceful, diverse, myriad, then attacked. Herzog protestors demolish the narrative

Protests across Australia against Israeli President Isaac Herzog were peaceful until NSW Police suddenly became aggressive. Andrew Gardiner reports.

Protesters protesting Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit, we are told, are “haters” who will “spoil the post-Bondi solace.” Nothing like this was evident on the ground.

They were multicultural (lots of middle-class white people), nonviolent, and—unless I’m missing something—they didn’t have ISIS or Hamas flags. This was the attitude of the protesters, who were labeled by Zionist and right-wing influencers as “crazy,” “hysterical,” and – in a way that could only come from social media – “apologists for murderous Hamas rapists.”

There’s nothing like being there – on the ground, or more accurately in my case, on the steps of Adelaide’s Parliament House – to get a first-hand look at the gulf between reality and the distorted representation presented by the gatekeepers of right-wing commentators.

They chant “Arrest Herzog”

Among the 28 anti-Herzog protests held last night, “tens of thousands” They braved a heavy police presence and tough new “terror symbols” and “hate speech” laws in Sydney, with at least 10,000 people estimated to have walked out of “Flinders Street Station on Swanston Street”. Down St Kilda RoadIn Melbourne, nearly 2000 people (including the author) chanted “Arrest Herzog” in sweltering Adelaide.

Why did they brave an army of police, a cacophony of commentators demonizing the event, and the actual event in Sydney? division of a city?

The short answer, according to those I spoke to, is a collective sense of anger at what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank, and a powerful but ultimately pointless effort by both politicians and the press to distort, downplay, and—sometimes—outright deny the massacre.

“We see what’s going on out there and there’s no way to explain the dead mothers and babies,” said Ann, a mother of three who lives in the suburbs. “Pick up a copy of the (Adelaide) Advertiser, it was wall-to-wall Charlie Kirk (a right-wing activist, assassinated last September), but you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything about Gaza before page 20,” added Mark, a student at nearby Adelaide University.

A few incidents of late in Sydney; Some of these were apparently provoked by police who forcibly removed a group of people. Muslims in prayer And blocked groups Protesters being prevented from attending the main rally – likely to be hijacked by the usual suspects at Sky News and 2GB. “Mass protests to fuel hatred. How many more Bondi murders before the haters stop?” asked the incomparable Andrew Bolt.

Editor: Stephanie Tran, reporting late from the Sydney protest, said the situation turned violent later in the evening, with police attacking protesters without apparent provocation, even attacking Muslims praying and other protesters trying to protect them.

“They literally barricaded us for 3 hours; people were trapped and had nowhere to go.” As the crowd grew, police prevented more people from entering the City Hall area.

late last night There were reports of many arrests From the Sydney protests.

Story on NSW police response to upcoming protests.

I’ve never seen anything like this in Adelaide.

Why the protests?

Israel has been causing mass starvation for 28 months; The death toll is estimated to be between 28 months and 28 months. 70,000 And 680,000and the transformation of Gaza into a site of destruction (above).

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) calls this “genocide” and in the world of justice and fairness, this odious label will frame most commentary and reporting.

But none of Australia’s foreign policy ‘princes’: Prime Minister Albanese, Foreign Minister Wong and their opponents Sussan Ley and Michaelia Cash – will come within a mile of calling it “genocide”, mentions of Gaza are lukewarm, rare or non-existent.

Instead, political commentary and corporate media coverage are often framed in the context of Hamas’ attacks on October 7, 2023. This terrible attack lasted only a few days and the loss of life is estimated to be around 200 thousand. two percent (at most) represents the current death toll in Gaza, but politicians mark 7 October as “one”indiscriminate and disgustingaction performed by “one”death cult”.

Newspapers carried the following headlines that reinforced the narrative:Israel’s 9/11” And “we are at war”.

cognitive dissonance

This cognitive dissonance seems to be reflected in the comments and news about last night’s protests; in this example it is framed by the need: “create social harmonyAlbanese said Herzog’s visit was designed to foster a “greater sense of unity” and “provide support for Australian Jews and the Australian Jewish community” following the Bondi Beach mass shooting in December.

There was little or no mention among the major parties about why last night’s protesters died against Herzog’s visit. “It is deeply disappointing that some Labor and union activists are planning targeted protests. to shout“The visit,” Cash said, more interested in assigning blame and making it partisan.

Conservative commentators, meanwhile, had a field day. 3AW’s Tom Elliott slams protesters selective anger Andrew Bolt complained that Bondi Beach “did not teach us the price of telling terrible lies about Israel being an ‘apartheid regime’ that committed ‘genocide’, ‘targeted children’ and deliberately caused ‘famine’.”

Regarding Bolt’s claims, it is also worth noting that last month the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that Israeli policies “are kind of similar to Israeli policies.” apartheid system we have seen it before,” and the UN investigation concluded that some of the actions were deliberately targeting Gaza. kids. The country’s Prime Minister and former defense minister are facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for allegedly:genocide”, especially regarding triggering”famine”.

Looks like Bolt is the one who needs to check his facts. As for Elliott, he too is regularly accused of “selective anger.”

UN report: Israel practices racial discrimination and apartheid

On the need for “social harmony,” rally organizers and a select few commentators say Herzog’s visit has achieved the exact opposite. “This (visit) really brought up the issue of Israeli actions (in Gaza). escalated tension “We saw this at Bondi,” said the ABC’s Laura Tingle.

If the crowds at Monday night’s protests are any guide, they appear to be rolling out the red carpet for one man, Herzog not up The politics of division, representing a pariah state, achieved anything but the effect Albanese intended.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog signed off on the bombs to be sent to Gaza. Photo: Australian International Justice Center

Experts of Israeli propaganda

Peter Hartcher is SMH He says Herzog’s role in Gaza was as follows: “Mostly symbolic,” those in last night’s crowd say he was up to his neck in this. In September, The UN Human Rights Council investigation found Herzog (pictured above, sign the bomb “direct and public incitement to genocide” (against Gaza), in violation 1948 Genocide Convention.

The finding was based on Herzog’s claim that “the entire (Palestinian) nation is responsible for (the attacks on Israel, including those on October 7, 2023)” and rejected his “narrative that (Gaza) civilians were unaware or did not know.” not included (in attacks)” as “absolutely not true”. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that member countries such as Australia prevent and punish genocide and related crimes.

Keeping this firmly in mind, the dignitaries of the UN Commissioner Chris Sidoti with lawyer Robert Richter KC called or filed a motion for Herzog’s arrest; Additionally, moves are being made to extradite him from Australia to Türkiye. Malaysiaa Tel Aviv hater.

And the Epstein Files

Herzog – topic right now intense speculation Around the Epstein Files – does They will not face arrest warrants from the ICJ like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

But a member of his entourage, retired General Doron Almog, arrived. in a few minutes Arrest at London Heathrow airport in 2005 following an arrest warrant for allegations of premeditated murder of three teenage boys and a pregnant woman during house demolitions in Gaza, and (separately) of 14 people during an airstrike on the densely populated Rafah.

Almog fled the UK by refusing to get off the El Al plane, remaining on board and returning home after the flight back to Israel. Albanese and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have no intention of arresting Almog, let alone Herzog.

One wonders how big last night’s crowd might have been if more Australians had been told the facts and (as one Adelaide protester put it) not been “gasped” about Herzog with high-minded talk of “social cohesion” and “fixes”. It requires a strong pressure group, some coward politicians and a malleable media to achieve such an illusion.

Island visits. Herzog’s reaction disrupted Albo’s ‘social harmony’

An Adelaide-based Media Studies graduate with an MA in Social Policy, I was an editor covering current affairs, local government and sport for a variety of publications before deciding to change careers in 2002.