Key facts
- Jewish Australians will commemorate the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks on Wednesday.
- Pro-Palestine groups have also planned vigils for the same day.
- NSW Premier Chris Minns described the planned vigils as "obscene" and "designed to antagonize."
- Victorian Premier Ben Carroll indicated police would act if vigils breach anti-vilification laws.
- Events are planned in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide.
- A pro-Palestine gathering is planned at Sydney's town hall.
Jewish Australians are preparing to mark the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks on Wednesday, with commemorations planned across major cities. These events coincide with planned pro-Palestine vigils, which have drawn strong condemnation from Labor state leaders.
Peak Jewish bodies have organized memorial events, with some locations kept private due to ongoing safety concerns following the Bondi terror attack in December. In Melbourne, an event was expected to feature an account from an Israeli soldier who was present during the attacks. Zionism Victoria has scheduled an outdoor evening ceremony.
Sydney will host a dawn commemoration at 6:29 a.m., marking the exact time of the Hamas attack, and an evening community event supported by the Zionist Council of NSW and the United Israel Appeal. The description for this event states, "United in remembrance and resilience, we stand with Israel and the Jewish people, joined by our fellow Australians against hatred and extremism."
A documentary titled "After Never Again," exploring the experiences of Israeli trauma professionals, will be screened in Canberra and Perth. This film was produced by Kehilot to Australia (K2A), a group dedicated to bringing Israeli youth to Australia for relief from conflict-related stress.
Pro-Palestine groups have also organized gatherings. An event at Sydney's town hall is planned for Wednesday evening. An organizing group, Jews Against The Occupation ‘48, stated their event would be a vigil to mark Israel's retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza on October 7, 2023, rather than a protest. Wollongong Friends of Palestine, south of Sydney, has also planned a vigil. In Melbourne, a "sit-in vigil" is scheduled outside the state library of Victoria from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns described the planned vigils on the anniversary of the "horrible and violent" event as "obscene" and "designed to antagonize large sections of our community." He expressed distress on behalf of the Jewish community. Minns noted that Supreme Court and High Court decisions on political communication made it difficult to shut down static protests, particularly those described as silent vigils.
Further pro-Palestine rallies are planned in over a dozen Australian cities on Sunday as part of a "global day of action," with a rally also scheduled for Friday outside the electorate office of Australia’s deputy prime minister, Richard Marles.