Peer protests move to Melbourne
A SMALL group of Palestinian supporters have held a protest outside the Australian Open, singling out Israel's top tennis player Shahar Peer.
AJN STAFF
A SMALL group of Palestinian supporters held a protest outside the Australian Open on Tuesday afternoon (January 19).
The Australians For Palestine group, which numbered fewer than 10, singled out Israel’s top tennis player Shahar Peer for criticism. The protest was peaceful, but after a time, the demonstrators were asked by police to leave.
The group, most of who were dressed in corporate attire, held placards with a photo of Peer in her Israel Defence Forces uniform. The slogan on the placard read: “Shahar Peer serves for apartheid Israel”.
According to a flyer distributed by Australians For Palestine, Peer has been singled out because she “has shown no understanding of the oppressive conditions under which Palestinian athletes are forced to live, but rather sees herself as a victim of discrimination”.
Peer, who refrains from making political statements, has been the target of anti-Israeli protests. Most recently, she was heckled at a tournament in Auckland. She also came to global attention last year when the United Arab Emirates, host of the Dubai Tennis Championship, refused to issue the Israeli citizen with a visa.
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