Pro-Palestine protesters burned the Australian flag during a rally in Melbourne’s CBD.

After burning the flag, the protesters covered their faces, sprayed ‘Abolish Australia’ onto the pavement, and held up posters reading ‘Death to IDF.’

Premier Jacinta Allan described the actions as deplorable.

‘It’s deplorable – it’s a deplorable action,’ she told the Today show.

‘Police moved quickly and dealt with the incident here in Melbourne yesterday.

‘The protest was peaceful, there were no arrests, and Victoria Police did a tremendous job in keeping our community safe.’

The Melbourne rally was one of several held across the country, with more than 100,000 people braving the rain to attend a pro-Palestine protest on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Dubbed the ‘March for Humanity’ by organisers, the event aimed to highlight what the United Nations has described as a ‘worst-case scenario.’

In Sydney the protest on the Harbour Bridge was marred by a small minority chanting antisemitic slogans and carrying inflammatory posters.

Pro-Palestine protesters burned the Australian flag during a rally in Melbourne’s CBD

One protester expressed opposition to the continued existence of both Australia and Israel in Sydney

Protesters at the event

Among the crowd, a large portrait of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, shown holding a rifle, was prominently displayed. Khamenei, who has ruled Iran for more than three decades, is widely regarded as a despot who has brutally repressed women’s rights and ordered the mass killings of pro-democracy activists. 

Other protesters held signs depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a Hitler-style moustache and the word ‘terrorist’ beneath.

Another protester also tried to turn the event into a protest against colonialism. 

Queers for Palestine also joined the protest, holding a sign that read, ‘Penny Wong kills lesbians in Gaza’.

Other demonstrators used the rally to take aim at Australia as well. One carried a sign saying, ‘Abolish Israel, abolish Australia – Land back.’

Another protester also tried to turn the event into a protest against colonialism.

‘Don’t go on the Sydney Harbour with Australian nationalistic fervour. Nationalistic pride is genocidal. Go on the Sydney Harbour because it’s a symbol of colonialism that needs to be torn down.

‘Too many are in love with their Australinanness, but we should be challenging the national culture, not reinforcing or appealing it,’ they said.

Another supporter was seen wearing a jumper emblazoned with the slogan ‘Death to the IDF’, directly targeting Israel’s military, while another carried a sign declaring ‘Zionists are Neo-Nazis’.

A protester holds a poster of Iranian dictator Ali Khamenei known for restricting women’s right and useing morality police to control behavior and dress

A protest sign equating Zionism with neo-Nazism sparked outrage during the Harbour Bridge march with critics saying the comparison is historically offensive and antisemitic

Another demonstrator showed his support for Dr Abbasi, an Iranian scientist who openly supported Iran’s nuclear program and was killed in Israeli strikes in June.

Many black and white Islamic flags – often used by Islamist groups to symbolise jihad and Islamic unity – were also seen on the bridge.

Chants of ‘Long live Intifada’ – a phrase commonly associated with violent uprisings against Israel – as well as ‘Death to Netanyahu’ also echoed across the bridge.

‘Whether they realise it or not, they’re endorsing the same terror that targets Jews, Israel, and the West,’ one critic said.

Earlier in the week, NSW Police admitted they could not ensure a safe environment for the rally and sought a prohibition order from the courts. 

But on Saturday, Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected the request, ruling that the inconvenience to residents and commuters did not outweigh the right to peaceful assembly.

‘It is in the nature of peaceful protests to cause disruption to others,’ she said.

Legal expert Patrick Schmidt warned the decision could pave the way for more protests on the bridge.

A protester holds a ‘Gay Jews for Gaza’ sign during the Harbour Bridge march, signaling solidarity from LGBTQ+ Jewish activists with Palestinians in Gaza

An estimated 90,000 protesters hit the streets of Sydney on Sunday

Traffic was not allowed on the Harbour Bridge for hours during the protest 

‘The police or government can’t stop a lawful peaceful protest, the issue is the scale of it,’ Mr Schmidt told the Daily Telegraph.

‘The major issue is the logistics of it all – as opposed to the legality.

‘It’s a public safety issue – it’s not so much about the convenience – it’s getting enough boots on the ground.

‘The significance of using the Harbour Bridge is it will get picked up by world media.

‘If it happened every weekend how would you get the public attention to it. It would lose a lot of vigour.’

Israel’s military campaign began after militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking more than 251 hostages.

The ensuing retaliatory bombardment and blockade of Gaza have killed more than 60,000 people, according to the health authorities.

Gaza’s population of 2.1 million people is projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity, including one million people who face emergency levels, according to the United Nations.

The federal government on Monday announced an additional $20million to support aid organisations in delivering food, medical supplies and other lifesaving support in Gaza.