Yom Hazikaron unaffected by protests
People inside the hall heard harrowing stories from several people who were caught up in the events of October 7, and there were siongs from the Halev choir.
More than 1,400 people attended this week’s emotional Yom Hazikaron commemoration at Monash University.
Another 200 were able to watch the livestream from the HaMerkaz Centre in Elsternwick.
A pro-Palestinian student groupo, Monash foir Palestine, demanded the university cancel the booking, apologise for what they called distress and harm it caused and cut all links with Israel.
Their social media accounts claimed that the event was to honour “war criminals”.
In the lead up to the event they called for reinforcements from trade unions and other pro-Palestine student encampments over fears they were going to be attacked by “Zionists”.
Yom Hazikaron has been held at Robert Blackwood Hall for many years.
The ceremony began with a acknowledgement of country from Michael McDonogh, the great-great-grandson of Aboriginal leader William Cooper, who famously supported Jews in the wake of Kristallnacht.
People inside the hall heard harrowing stories from several people who were caught up in the events of October 7, and there were siongs from the Halev choir.
“Australia’s First Nations community and the Jewish people have stood together as one since great-great-grandfather protested in response to the very dark night of broken glass. My mob proudly continues to stand with you all at this time” he said.
The hall was ringed with police, Monash campus security personnel and Community Security Group members.
Zionism Victoria executive director Zeddy Lawrence told the media, “We encourage everyone who’s coming along to not approach the encampment. We may not agree to what they’re protesting about, we may not agree how they’re disrupting life on campus, but as long as they respect us, we have no problem respecting them.”
Demonstrators marched around the commemoration waving Palestinian flags and chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” despite having been warned by Monash university not to use that slogan.
A statue of Sir John Monash who the university was named after, was draped in a Palestinian keffiyeh at one point.
There was some tension as the marchers passed through the stream of Jewish people heading into the hall, but there were relatively few incidents.
Two Jewish attendees tried to wave Israeli flags in the marchers faces but were quickly hustled away by security.
And when there were cries of “child killers” from the protesters, their marshals intervened to silence them.
Many of those at the ceremony made sure to thank Police officers as they left the venue.
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