Premier labels pro-Palestine protesters who rallied at NGV ‘extremists’ and ‘antisemitic’

Premier Jacinta Allan has labelled pro-Palestine protesters who rallied outside the National Gallery of Victoria on Sunday as “extremists” who brought antisemitism to the streets of Melbourne.

The demonstrators are believed to have targeted the gallery, which was forced into lockdown, because of donations its received from well-known Jewish philanthropists John and Pauline Gandel.

Premier Jacinta Allan on Tuesday.Credit: Jason South

Hundreds of activists marched through the city to the NGV on Sunday afternoon, and one witness reported being yelled at by protesters and accused of supporting Zionism and genocide by entering the gallery.

On Tuesday morning, Allan condemned the protest and said the demonstrators were shameful and “cloaking their extremism under the conflict of the Middle East”.

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“Victorians are blessed to have the generosity of philanthropic generosity from families like the Gandels,” she said.

“That generosity, that philanthropy enriches us all, and that behaviour we saw where antisemitism came to the street on the National Gallery was just disgraceful.

“It is shameful behaviour and I condemn it because the generosity of the Gandels, it’s enriched my family.

“Those people who choose to cloak their extremism under the conflict of the Middle East are shameful and should be condemned.”

Allan’s comments were in stark contrast to those from Multicultural Affairs Minister Ingrid Stitt, who on Monday said people had the right to protest peacefully.

“You do have the right to peacefully protest. We can’t necessarily always impact what happens ... in other countries around the world, but what we can do is all ensure that people in Victoria act appropriately, in accordance with the law and respectfully,” Stitt said on Monday.

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