Supporters recount being pushed by police
'I went to complain … basically stop harassing two little old ladies … then they started to put their hands on me and push me and try to take me to the ground'
“It felt like Victoria Police had joined” rowdy anti-Israel protesters in Melbourne on Sunday, according to members of the Lions of Zion group who spoke this week with The AJN.
The Lions of Zion group formed in December last year, and shared with The AJN that their intention was “to stand up to the threats from rising antisemitism.” One of its founders, Isaac, said the Lions of Zion formed “to instil unity, courage and pride for the Jewish community and its allies.
“One of the first actions that were taken by the Lions was to uphold the right of all people to be in the city of Melbourne, particularly during the weekly antisemitic protests by supporters of terrorism that forced Jews, Israelis and their supporters out of the CBD,” he said.
Another founder, Yaakov Travitz, noted that its members are not only Jewish but come from different cultural and religious backgrounds including Iranians, Indians, Samoans, and Christian Zionists.
Travitz said Lions of Zion made its intentions to attend the anti-Israel rally known on WhatsApp and to the police, and that when they gathered at Caulfield station to travel to the city, police asked them not attend. He said that when a group of Lions of Zion supporters arrived in the city and headed towards the State Library, police made a line requesting that they not attend, but the Lion of Zion members insisted on their right to protest under section 6(5) of the Summary Offences Act 1966 (Vic).
Some members of the group were seeking to join other supporters of Lions of Zion who had already gathered on the State Library lawn. They claim the police would not let them join the others on the lawn. According to members of the group, around that time anti-Israel protestors came towards the Lions of Zion group and the Police and were violent towards the police, throwing eggs and projectiles.
Soon after, the police decided to move on the Lions of Zion group and began to physically push them back towards Latrobe Street. Natan said he witnessed an elderly lady being pushed by the police and stood in between the police and the woman to protect her, “So they could push me instead,” he said. Natan had bruising on his arm, which he showed The AJN.
Soon after, the Lions of Zion members were able to gather with their other supporters on the State Library Lawn where they played music and waved Israeli and Australian flags. The group said they heard the anti-Israel protestors yell at them “We’re going to kill you” and other threats, as well as the chant “All Zionists are terrorists”. According to the group, around 15 minutes later, Victoria Police circled around them and ordered them to move on, physically pushing the group.
Some told The AJN they heard the police order them to move on, while others claim they did not hear the order but experienced the physical pushing of police without imminent warning.
Natan said police moved them on “forcefully”, and “again were harassing two little old ladies who were just sitting on the steps.”
“So, I went to complain … basically stop harassing two little old ladies … then they started to put their hands on me and push me and try to take me to the ground,” he said. “I made sure to have my hands up, and not to push them once.”
He recalled there were about three or four officers who pushed him to the ground. “Even women who were complying and walking, they would push them,” Natan stated. “I was really upset, they embolden the other side by seeing the more peaceful group being pushed away.”
Josh is another founder of Lions of Zion and said that police pushed him in the head and around his neck and one police officer was swearing “f**king move” as he pushed the group.
Josh added that when he told a Senior Sergeant about their right to protest under the law, the Police Officer said he “didn’t care”. Josh also noted that he saw an anti-Israel protestor do a Nazi salute at another time at Flinders Street station, which he believes the police ignored.
Asked for his thoughts at that time of being pushed, Josh said, “You would expect it from the pro-terror groups, you would expect Victoria Police to stand against violence, but at that point in time it felt like Victoria Police had joined them.”
Yaacov said he heard a Senior sergeant say, “Don’t push!” and “Be diplomatic!”, but that there was a lack of cohesion in the police response.
Isaac said that three police officers told him that they were being moved on because they were smaller in number than the anti-Israel protestors.
Some in the group told The AJN that when they were requested to move on by the police, they stood firm, planting their feet, insisting on their right to protest. The police pushed them towards the corner of Swanston and Latrobe Streets where anti-Israel protestors were gathered. Members of the group expressed that they were perplexed as to why the police ordered them to move on for their safety, and yet they were pushed towards anti-Israel protestors gathered in that area who harassed them in an “unsafe location”.
At that time, Vanessa, who was filming the protest, had her Israeli flag stolen by an anti-Israel protestor. Her husband Anthony jumped over a tram barricade to retrieve it. Anthony claims he grabbed the flagpole and the woman holding the flag fell, and Police pepper sprayed Anthony in the face twice. The first time when he went to retrieve the flag, and a second time moments later.
“It tore me up, the next day I couldn’t go to work,” Anthony said.
Anthony and Vanessa are not Jewish. They are Christians who want to stand up for Israel and Jewish people. Vanessa told The AJN, that she had an uncle who was Jewish and he taught her about the Holocaust. “I was profoundly affected by where was the Church and the believers. It clearly failed the Jewish people.”
“I always had a question in my mind, what would I do if Germany came to Australia? After October 7 I wanted to stand with the Jewish people and I could see from the start a lot of gentiles were either oblivious or indifferent or felt like there might be a cost if you stood up. And because of all the stuff I read, I thought there might be a cost but I don’t want this to happen in Australia.”
The AJN asked Victoria Police why pro-Israel supporters were pushed on Sunday and whether they responded to the antisemitism at the protest, to which they replied, “If an incident was reported to police, please advise to whom so we can follow up for you. There were no arrests.”
Jewish Community Council of Victoria president Philip Zajac said all Victorians, including Jews, have the right to protest peacefully.
“The JCCV takes reports of aggressive and intimidating behaviour towards Jews seriously and maintains regular dialogue with Victoria Police, including police leaders in the CBD,” he said.
“We expect police to uphold the rights and safety of all in the CBD.”
The Lions of Zion are considering their legal options and plan to return to the city to protest.
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