A pro-Palestine protest in Australia has been shut down with flares and flames after the protestors staged a sit-in in front of the Sydney Opera House to protest the sails of the iconic building changing its colors to the Israeli flag.
ABC News is reporting that the decision to change the colors was the one made by New South Wales’ premier, Chris Minns, who said that the color change was to “stand in solidarity” with Australia’s Jewish population.
That decision was met with hundreds of protestors, most of them waving the flag of Palestine, to camp out in front of the building.
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This protest was met with strict condemnation from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who felt that the pro-Palestine protest shouldn’t have gone forward.
“I absolutely believe [the march] should not [go ahead]. I think people need to really take a step back,” he said.
However, Albanese also made clear that he did not support Israel unilaterally.
Rather, Albanese called for the rounding condemnation of all forms of extremist violence, including the violence against innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip.
This was a sentiment echoed by Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
“Whatever people’s views are about the history of this conflict, we can never condone the targeting of civilians and the taking of hostages and I’m sure that is something many Australians can agree with,” she said.
Hundreds of protestors congregated around the Sydney Opera House shouting “free Palestine” and “shame Israel,” leading to the flares being thrown to break up the protest.
Police report that no one was injured when the flares with thrown, and no one was arrested for the protest.
