Scuffles erupt at Melbourne nursery protest

Scuffles broke out between Jewish demonstrators and pro-Palestinian protesters outside a Melbourne nursery on Monday afternoon.

Around 40 supporters of the Lions of Zion activist group gathered outside the Garden of Eden Nursery in South Melbourne to protest after a 24-year-old Israeli woman was sent hostile messages by the nursery’s co-owner, Brett Dahan, when she applied for work.

According to text messages, Dahan wrote: “Unfortunately, the position has been filled by someone with a semblance of humanity and who cares for plants, animals, and the environment.

“Good luck on your journey and I hope you leave Melbourne soon! Free Palestine and end genocide NOW. You’re complicit in IT,” the message continued.

Lions of Zion co-founder Isaac Balbin told The AJN that scuffling broke out when pro-Palestinian individuals arrived and acted aggressively, claiming one male barged into three elderly women as he forced his way into the crowd.

“There was a bit of a scuffle with some pushing. Members of our group removed him from the pack,” Balbin said.

“If we went to a pro-Palestinian protest and we charged towards the crowd and there was violence, I would say that was our fault. In this case the opposite has happened.”

One pro-Palestinian protester who was physically shoved and had his sign torn up said he had been assaulted and his property destroyed.

“All I’m saying is I have a right, just as these people have a right to express their views and I’m not stopping them. We both have a right to coexist and to both express our views without violence.”

The Garden of Eden Nursery issued an apology statement expressing “regret” and extending “sincere apologies to the community”.

The statement claimed the message was sent via a personal account and management was unaware until it became public, calling it “deeply upsetting and disappointing” and stating it “in no way reflects the values, standards, or spirit of our business or team”.

However, Jewish community leaders have criticised the response as inadequate.

Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told the Herald Sun the statement would bring “little comfort” to the community.

“It fails to grasp how serious an instance of discrimination and dehumanisation this is and the impact it would have on the victim and wider society,” Ryvchin said.

“If a job applicant from any other country had been vilified, mocked and discriminated against in such a way, the individual responsible would be gone before the end of the day.”

Zionism Victoria CEO Ilan Rimer called the conduct “completely unacceptable”, saying, “This kind of conduct has no place in any workplace, least of all in a city we once proudly called the most multicultural and inclusive in Australia.”

Rimer said Fair Work Australia should investigate the nursery “and send a clear message that hate and discrimination will not be tolerated”.

JCCV CEO Naomi Levin urged anyone experiencing antisemitism to report it to the Community Security Group and contact the JCCV Antisemitism Support Service for guidance and support.