Hundreds of people have gathered in central Sydney demanding stronger action against what they say has been a disturbing rise in antisemitism across the nation in recent weeks. Speakers from the Jewish community have accused Australia’s political leaders of being too slow to denounce violent acts of antisemitism and say the response has been inadequate.
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00:00Around 1,500 people gathered at this rally in Sydney's CBD this morning.
00:10Members of Sydney's Jewish community, but also members from the broader community came
00:15together for this rally which was called Together With Israel.
00:20They've demanded stronger action against what they say has been a disturbing rise in violent
00:28anti-Semitic acts across Australia in recent weeks.
00:32Who knows what is going to happen next?
00:35Now is the time to make a stand.
00:38This of course includes the arson attack at the Melbourne Synagogue which is being investigated
00:43as a terror attack and also over the past few weeks the graffiti attacks in Sydney's
00:50east which saw a car torched and many buildings, homes and shops graffitied with anti-Israel
01:00slogans.
01:02So members of both the Jewish community and the broader community came here today saying
01:07they feel increasingly unsettled and unsafe in the community and they say that this is
01:14really a tipping point.
01:16It's no longer just a threat but that violence is actually on the streets and they've called
01:21for politicians to do more.
01:23There has never been an atmosphere like this against the Jewish minority that has been
01:29so happy and successful and contributed so much ever in the history of our great country.
01:36It's a shame.
01:38As you say in Yiddish, a shaynda.
01:41There was a very strong anger towards politicians from the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese down
01:46who they've accused of not doing enough to act against the rise in anti-Semitism.
01:53Prime Minister Albanese, we need you to take action.
02:00We need you to take a no-tolerance approach to anti-Semitism, hatred and violent speech
02:06in our streets.
02:08While state and federal politicians argue that they have acted, stepping up police patrols
02:13around areas that have been targeted with anti-Semitic acts and bringing in new laws
02:20that would stop people being able to protest outside places of worship, the Jewish community
02:27feels that still not enough strong action has been taken and has called on politicians
02:33to do more.