Australia, one country, one flag and if you support another flag go to that country. Enough of this garbage of burning our flag, waving flags of other countries, they should all be on the first plane out of the country including all relatives. We are too soft with these people and clown Albonese goes along with it together with non elected judges.

Rhian,

This article is a pretty average one, simply providing a basic overview of a protest we already know about.

Regardless, at any protest like this one you will get a broad cross section of people there - and it's not really something the organisers can manage at the end of the day.

The reality is though people going on about "River to the Sea" and the like is now all old and tired with no meaning, particularly with the current situation between Israel and Gaza going on for far too long.

Many people, including myself have had enough of the lack of action from world leaders on this issue - particularly Israel.

Those protesting and some putting out what some would call out of line comments aren't really the issue here. Their token chants are just tired rhetoric from people who have had enough - and I don't totally blame them. They are not the problem.

<<There were chants of....posters... and... perhaps the author could explain...

Once again, we are going over the same, old tired rhetoric.

Some of these words/things may have had meaning at one stage and really are now nothing more but throw away lines.

All people should be doing is calling for the Israeli President to step down from his role with the aim to see an end the current war in terms of Israel and Gaza - and move on.

<<I’m not willing or able to “bridge differences” with.... >>

We'll maybe it's time we all tried to, to get better outcomes and dropped the throw away lines and rhetoric. This of course applies to all sides.

NathanJ,

I accept that there may have been a broad range of views on the march, and the organisers cannot necessarily control all of what happens. But that is not the impression the author gives. My main objection is not that the marchers included advocates of genocide and Islamofascism – that has become commonplace – but Wasim’s portrayal of them comprising entirely warm-hearted peaceniks – “We, the protesters, were the personification of cohesion and acceptance” and “There was kindness paramount”. That is clearly not true.

His most chilling – and telling – comment is: “Every group was represented across faiths, races, politics and any other identity. The exception, of course, was Zionists.” There are lots of people who support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state – the standard definition of a “Zionist” – while being opposed to the Israeli Government’s recent actions in Gaza and often to its earlier policies in e.g. the West Bank.

There can be no two-state solution that denies the right of Israel to exist

the organisers cannot necessarily control all of what happens.
Rhian,
responsibly thinking people would not organise such marches in the first place. Want to help Palestinians ? Go there ! Stop dragging this crap here !

I'm happy for the march and Albo's plan to recognise Palestine.
In 50 or 100 years time when historians are sitting down with students in the classroom, and the topic of the 'Gaza genocide with bombs and starvation by Israel' comes up and the students ask "Why didn't anyone do anything?"
- Well at least we have these 2 stand-out instances to point to that we can say 'Well, some people did'.