Why Are You Here Today?

On Monday, 9 February, photographs and video footage emerged of police brutality against members of the public at a demonstration in Sydney, where an estimated 6,000 people had gathered at Sydney Town Hall to rally against an official visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Australia. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns had authorised the use of newly enacted anti-protest legislation that enabled police to forcefully disperse protesting crowds. Instances of violence by police against protestors were widely recorded, including vision of police dragging Muslim men and women off the ground during evening prayer.

On Tuesday, 10 February, it was announced that Herzog would also visit Melbourne. In response, a protest was organised for Melbourne’s CBD on Thursday afternoon. In the days following the Sydney protest, many mainstream media outlets described the event as ‘having turned violent’, without any clear reference or clarification as to who was responsible for the violence. After seeing photographs and videos from the Sydney protest, I wanted to join the Melbourne protest to meet some of the protesters and hear what their reasons were for attending.

The following 11 people agreed to have their photograph made, as well as to share their views on the protest.

‘I’ve come down from Bendigo (to protest) the invitation of Isaac Herzog to Australia. He is an indicted war criminal and unbelievably, our government has invited him to Australia. If they arrest him I’d be happy, but that is clearly not their intent. They have rolled out the red carpet for him, lots of handshakes and it’s just embarrassing. The other reason I’m here is the unbelievable cruelty of what Israel is doing inside of Palestine.

‘When I’m available to come to Melbourne for the Palestinian protests, I attend them. I was at university 50 years ago and I read the university paper, that’s when I realised that Israel was a nasty piece of work. Since then, any opportunity to protest Israel’s actions against the Palestinians, I try to partake (in). 

‘The Prime Minister walking down the red carpet with a war criminal, that deserves to be shown at every election for the next 30 years. I think the ALP will live to regret that.’

- Simon Perrin, 70, Bendigo

‘I’m originally from England and have been here in Australia since 1988. I’m here at the pro-Palestinian march to condemn Isaac Herzog, who is now accused of war crimes. I try to come out every Sunday for the regular march because of humanity, because of the deaths in Gaza and the amount of children that have been killed. 

‘You’ve got about 5,000 right now outside Flinders (Street Station) and you’re going to get one or two who are going to want a bit of argey-bargey, as we say in England. But you can’t tar everyone with the same brush. If there’s five people out here that (sic) want to have trouble with the police and want to fight whoever, then it’s an easy excuse, but most of us are here because of the genocide in Gaza and we hate seeing images of people killed and kids dying.

‘I was shocked (by the vision from the Sydney protest) and very moved, and I shed a few tears. Obviously seeing Muslim people being interrupted and man-handled by the police halfway though prayer was absolutely shocking. I can’t believe that the Police Commissioner of New South Wales gave that order, it’s inhumane and it’s stupid. I’ve seen that footage of the man being punched in the chest, you can clearly see that he has his hands in the air, it’s disgusting. Those police should be prosecuted and we should have an independent inquiry.

‘You don’t invite someone who is accused of genocide by the International Court of Justice. He (Herzog) hasn’t been prosecuted yet, but that is going to take time.

‘I feel deeply sorry for those people who died at Bondi, but just invite someone who is peaceful. Don’t invite someone who is signing bombs to be blowing up children.’

- Andy Young, 61, Melbourne

‘We are here today to protest President Herzog of Israel being in Australia and particularly being here in Melbourne.

‘He has committed crimes against humanity. He's a war criminal, and the fact that our government has let him into this country is disgraceful. I don't vote Labor, but I had some hopes for Albanese because of his past, (but) he's been the biggest disappointment. It's devastating, I just can't believe he's let this man into our country.  Hundreds of thousands of people have been murdered in cold blood in Palestine. I couldn't be anywhere else today.’

- Sylvie Heywood, 34, Melbourne (r)

‘The short way to put it is we should be arresting more criminals, not rolling out the red carpet for them, inviting them to our country and inviting them to the state of Victoria. If we wanted to show solidarity with the victims at Bondi, there are so many different ways that we could do it. This is just a kick in the guts to everybody who has been watching a live stream genocide for years, and a particular kick in the guts to Palestinians and people with Palestinian families. 

‘I can't imagine what it's like to be a Palestinian right now, and to see countries like Australia welcoming somebody who's incited genocide against their people, I'm disgusted. Disgusted in our politicians, disgusted in our government.’

- Ella Svensson, 32, Melbourne (l)

‘ I've been involved in the Palestine movement sporadically since the 80’s when I was involved in the anarchist movement. There was quite a connection to anarchists and Palestinian movement years ago.

‘I've been more involved recently because I think what's going on there (in Palestine) is atrocious. Everyone being killed and bombed with impunity, and our government giving money and arms to Israeli defense forces, I think it's outrageous and I think more action needs to be taken.

‘With the world moving more to the right and pressing marginalised groups, we need to stand up together, and fight back because we're all being trodden down, economically, socially, politically. To me, it's all quite connected, and I think Palestine exemplifies the horror of big governments doing horrible things with impunity, backed corporations and other vested interests.

‘ I wasn't shocked (when hearing of Herzog’s visit) but I was outraged, because it shouldn't happen. The fact that (Herzog) said that all Australians are brainwashed, and there hasn't been a word from Albanese. Herzog (had) a go at (all) Australian citizens and there has been no response from the government about him slandering tens of thousands of people who have been protesting for two years. I think that’s absolutely spineless and I feel not part of this country.’

- Rohan Wightman, 61, Castlemaine

‘I’m here specifically today because I’m very, very angry that protestors (in Sydney) were brutalised by the police.  They were getting arrested for taking a stand against a war criminal.  Meanwhile our government, I don't know how much money they’re spending wining and dining a war criminal, someone who is responsible for the deaths of over 70,000 people, it's probably reaching a hundred thousand people by now, and (also) signing a bomb that's getting dropped down onto people.

‘The solidarity amongst the people here is really great. I want to show the government that they can’t get away with supporting a war criminal and suppointing Israel in the genocide there (in Gaza) becasue if it happnes without any opposition, who knows what will happen here. We’re already having a genocide here (in Australia) with Aboriginal people.’ 

- Liza Shaw, 52, Castlemaine

‘Australia is a multicultural place with a huge mix of people. My parents were born overseas, most people’s parents were born overseas. How could we not see humanity in this, instead of inviting someone that killing thousands and thousands and thousands. It doesn’t make any sense at all. 

‘This is who we are, this is Melbourne, so we come out to (show) our support. I hope Jacinta Allen takes a good look at this and sees just how much opposition there is to her invitation (to Herzog) here. And to her and Albanese, this will be quite existential to them, there is an election coming up at the end of this year.

‘With regard to the Sydney protests, it was absolutely hideous. It was like watching animals being unleashed. I’d like to know who organised the tactics and let (the police) loose. I haven’t seen anything quite like that and I certainly hope it doesn’t happen here in Victoria.

- Sandra Geitz, 59, Melbourne (pictured with Herbie Grarock, 18)

‘ I'm here because I don't believe that the head of state responsible for genocide should be allowed in Australia.  In any country (he) should be arrested on the spot.

‘ I oppose the occupation of any land unlawfully, which is what Israel is in the West Bank, and I oppose the idea of having an open air prison. The Palestinians should not have been thrown out of their land in 1948.

‘After the Second World War, it was decided by the United Nations to give land to the Jewish people on the agreement that they would have a shared occupation with Palestinians. Ever since, they've been pretending they have their own law against international laws. 

‘I am from a linguistic and ethnic group in my homeland that has been denied their cultural freedom for a long time, so I can sympathise with the plight of the Palestinians, the Aboriginal people, and anyone who's oppressed. 

‘ I hope the government is going to realise that there's a need for honesty and consistency, and that you cannot oppose genocide in one part of the world and condone it in another.’

- Thierry, 66, Melbourne (pictured with Hilja, 44)

‘ I'm here to protest against Herzog.  He's a war criminal, and the Australian government is sending a very clear message to us that they're okay with what's going on in Gaza. I'm all for social cohesion, but not when it's aiding and abetting people like Herzog and the systems he represents.

‘ We're here to send a clear message to the government. We're here to send a message to the general public, but also to people on the fence or on the fringe, (those) who agree with our ideas and standpoints. It's to show that there's nothing to fear from the police, from the government. We're here peacefully and, I hope everyone sees what we're doing and joins in because that's how we create change and stand up and say no to what's going on.

‘ I can go on and on about what's going on in Gaza, but I'm not going say anything that anyone hasn’t already heard. These colonial systems are terrifying. The world is slowly altering itself into a fascist kind of place. When these things go uncontested, who's to say it won't go further, it's not only for what's going on today, but also to stop what could happen in the future.

‘ I genuinely thought it was AI (artificial intelligence) when I saw Muslims being dragged off (in Sydney), I  just couldn't believe my eyes. I just hope that nothing like that ever happens again, it was an appalling use of the system and taxpayer’s money,  and utterly undemocratic.’

- Sean Carrick, 23, Melbourne

‘ I was in Israel a week before October 7th, 2023. I went to Jerusalem for a holiday. I went to the West Bank and I stayed in a Zionist hotel. I was brainwashed by the media that the Palestinians are all terrorists so I thought I'd be safer in a Zionist hotel. However, I did not feel safe at all.  Because we were not Zionists, we were treated very differently, we weren't given bath towels, they were very rude to us. We felt very threatened with all the IDF soldiers with their guns everywhere, they were interrogating everyone.

‘ We felt safer with the Palestinians when we went into the West Bank. We were welcomed by the Palestinians and even the Christians. (We saw) muslim Palestinians all getting interrogated by the IDF, we saw with our own eyes and we changed (our view). So that's why we're at these protests every week.

‘ When you see it with your own eyes, you realise that the story being told by the media and politicians is just false. I encourage everyone to travel and not believe in the media at all. You can't believe anything that's being said, basically. 

‘I come to the protests every week if I can.  I wear a Palestinian scarf everywhere around Melbourne. Wherever I am, I wear that and usually I get a lot of solidarity. On the 30th of December, however,  I was actually called a terrorist for wearing my Palestinian scarf, and I believe that's because of the Bondi attack, (as well as) the media, the government, and the way they're portraying the Palestinian protestors. It was very sad to feel that.

‘ Zionism is nothing to do with Judaism. I know a lot of Jewish people and they’re very beautiful people and humanitarian. Zionism is a political ideology, it goes against everything that is Judaism. The government needs to listen to the Jewish people, not the Zionists who are hiding behind the Jewish religion and tarnishing the beautiful religion. 

‘ We didn't vote for the Liberal Party (in the 2025 federal election) because Peter Dutton was inviting Netanyahu (to Australia), and now Albanese has betrayed us and invited Herzog. This is a betrayal to the people. Albo, what happened to you? You are not the man we knew you to be.’

- Bilgen Dolumer, 56, Melton

‘ I'm a teacher and an artist. We're here in front of Parliament in Naarm Melbourne, protesting the visit of the genocidal president of Israel Isaac Herzog. We don't accept his visit on these stolen unceded lands. 

‘​​ My existence is resistance. I need to stand for something and I need to live by my values. I can't just see a genocide keep unfolding and not do anything.

‘ I think the artist has a role to play in society by reflecting the times we live in, whether through their art or through their life. I'm here today because I think of  the numbers, (even) if  it's just one or two people that you can bring along, it all counts.

‘I wanted today to have a big impact, at least visually. I want the people of Palestine to see that people all over the world are standing with them, and I want to revive my hope and humanity.’

- Khaled Chamma, 33, Melbourne/Syria