{"id":5237,"date":"2026-05-05T19:49:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T19:49:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/5237\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T19:49:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T19:49:13","slug":"despite-mayors-cancellation-globalize-the-intifada-event-proceeds-in-sydney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/5237\/","title":{"rendered":"Despite mayor’s cancellation, ‘Globalize the intifada’ event proceeds in Sydney"},"content":{"rendered":"

An event seeking to promote the use of the slogan \u201cGlobalize the intifada\u201d went ahead in a park in Sydney after the city\u2019s mayor blocked it<\/a> from taking place at a state council-owned venue.<\/p>\n

The event, which was officially canceled on Monday after fears that it would spark violence, attracted just about 150 people and was held without major incident, according to<\/a> local news reports.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s a must that we globalize the intifada,\u201d local political figure Ahmed Ouf told the crowd. \u201cWe have to break the internal chains and invite others.\u201d<\/p>\n

The forum was intended to defend the phrase against efforts to ban it, and had drawn strong criticism from politicians and Jewish leaders. Australian lawmakers have sought to proscribe the slogan in public debate since the deadly terror shooting targeting a Hanukkah celebration at the city\u2019s Bondi Beach in December, which killed 15.<\/p>\n

In a statement on social media yesterday, Mayor Clover Moore said the event risked \u201ccontributing to hostility and fear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tGet The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
\n\t\t\tby email and never miss our top stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n

But the organizers, a group known as the Stop the War on Palestine group, defied the order.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe reject the implication\u2026 that our meeting risks public safety and respect for members of the community,\u201d the organizers wrote on Instagram\u00a0<\/a>announcing the change of venue.<\/p>\n

@CloverMoore<\/a> cancelled room for \u201cGlobalise the Intifada\u201d- but forum going ahead<\/p>\n

????Charles Kernan Reserve, Abercrombie St, Darlington (near Redfern station)<\/p>\n

???? 6pm Tuesday 5 May<\/p>\n

Moore has folded to Murdoch media fear and lies about the forum and slogan \u2018Globalise the Intifada\u2019 https:\/\/t.co\/UEQcu9fbzT<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/zRnQMeyBqS<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Teachers for Palestine NSW (@T4PalestineNSW) May 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The phrase \u201cGlobalize the intifada\u201d has become a flashpoint in public debate, particularly in the aftermath of the December 14\u00a0terror attack<\/a> at Bondi Beach. Jewish organizations have warned that the language carries connotations of violence, with the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) noting that the term \u201cintifada\u201d is associated with bloody, violent campaigns involving attacks on civilians.\n<\/p>\n

The event\u2019s organizers argue that the term \u201cintifada\u201d \u2014 Arabic for uprising \u2014 represents a legitimate call for political resistance and free speech. A flyer promoting the forum said efforts to ban the phrase were designed to \u201csmear and repress the Palestine movement.\u201d<\/p>\n

The second Palestinian intifada, from 2000-2005, was marked by a strategic onslaught of Palestinian suicide bombers against Israeli targets, primarily killing civilians.<\/p>\n

#GlobaliseTheIntifada<\/a> public meeting now in a park in #Redfern<\/a> because \u2066@cityofsydney<\/a>\u2069 canceled the booked venue pic.twitter.com\/TFT2pOqTtU<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Green Left (@GreenLeftOnline) May 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

After the Bondi Beach terror attack, Australian lawmakers proposed tougher laws against hate speech, including a proposed ban on the slogan in New South Wales. The state of Queensland formally proscribed the use of the phrase in March, and NSW Premier Chris Minns has sought to do the same, calling the slogan \u201chateful, violent rhetoric.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

However, that effort was complicated last month when the NSW Court of Appeal struck down a set of anti-protest laws that had been proposed by the government, ruling that protecting people from \u201cupsetting or inflammatory\u201d speech was not a sufficient legal reason to burden constitutional rights.<\/p>\n

Germany and Austria have both legislated severe restrictions on the use of the phrase, along with other inciting slogans like \u201cFrom the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.\u201d Last week, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for police to prosecute people chanting it after two Jewish men were stabbed\u00a0<\/a>in London in a terror attack.<\/p>\n

The event was held as the Royal Commission holds an inquiry<\/a> into the country\u2019s growing antisemitism problem. Members of Australia\u2019s Jewish community have been giving personal testimony at a public hearing investigating the factors that led to the Bondi Beach attack, in which a father and son massacred 15 people at a Jewish Hanukkah event on Australia\u2019s most famous beach in December in an Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack.<\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\tWhich gorgeous bird do you prefer?\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

THIS MONTH ONLY: Join our reader support group for as little as $6\/month and receive an exclusive tote bag featuring one of Israel\u2019s native birds.<\/p>\n

Choose between the\u00a0Duchifat (orange), Israel’s national bird, or the Shaldag (blue), a beloved symbol of the Israeli landscape.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a member of the Times of Israel Community,\u00a0you’ll also enjoy:<\/p>\n


\nAn ad-free experience of our site and podcasts.
\nExclusive access to award-winning films via DocuNation.
\nWeekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tJoin ToI Community & claim my bag\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tCLAIM YOUR BAG\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\tAlready a member? Sign in to stop seeing this<\/a><\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\tYou appreciate our wartime journalism\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWe\u2019re really pleased that you\u2019ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. \n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.<\/p>\n

Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.<\/p>\n

So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing\u00a0exclusive content\u00a0available only to Times of Israel Community members.<\/p>\n

Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\tAlready a member? Sign in to stop seeing this<\/a>
\n\t\t