“An act of national self-sabotage” – Jewish leaders condemn Auburn rally backing Iran, PFLP and Hezbollah

Jewish leaders have criticised a protest held in Sydney’s west that openly supported Iran’s Islamist regime, PFLP and the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.

The gathering occurred in Auburn on Saturday night, with community representatives arguing that authorities failed to intervene and that this risks undermining laws designed to address extremism.

Around 80 people attended the event, where they marched through the train station and Auburn Central Shopping Centre displaying portraits of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the late commander Qassem Soleimani.

Flags associated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine were also displayed, while participants chanted expressions of support for banned terrorist organisation, Hezbollah and its former leader Hassan Nasrallah.

NSW Police stated that officers monitoring the rally observed no offences and described the gathering as compliant.

Jewish organisations have strongly rejected this assessment, arguing that public expressions of support for groups linked to violence weaken the purpose of Australia’s anti-terrorism laws.

David Ossip, president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, stated: “Beyond the odium of having people on the streets of Sydney openly supporting a bloodthirsty dictator and vile terrorists, we have to consider what the point of proscribing terrorist organisations is if there is no consequence for publicly declaring allegiance to these groups.

“Tolerating extremism like this in our midst is an act of national self-sabotage.”

The rally was organised by Sydney Palestine Actions, a smaller activist network distinct from larger protest groups that have led recent demonstrations in Sydney. Promotional material portrayed Iran and its allies as part of a resistance movement and called for the lifting of Australian sanctions

Those sanctions target support for organisations, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and elements of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The rally was promoted on Instagram under the slogan “Defend Iran from the Western empire and Epstein class rally and march”, and framed as an anti-imperialist event in solidarity with Iranian, Lebanese and Palestinian “resistance” and “linked to the Trotskyist Platform”.

Jewish leaders have noted that the Auburn protest fits a wider pattern observed in Australia since the October 7 attacks, in which extremist symbols and rhetoric have appeared more openly at public demonstrations.

The incident has added to concerns about a nationwide increase in antisemitic incidents, with community groups warning that visible support for such entities contributes to a more hostile environment for many Australians.

Iranian Australians opposed to the Tehran regime have also voiced strong disapproval about the protest. Suren Edgar, vice-president of the Australian-Iranian Community Alliance, told The Australian: “What we saw at this gathering was deeply troubling. It wasn’t just a rally; it was a platform where symbols and figures linked to repression and violence were openly promoted.”

Tina Kordrostami, a local councillor who attended the event, described it as alarming and said authorities were allowing extremist sentiment to grow in confidence.

Although NSW Police maintain that no offences occurred, Jewish leaders argue the episode reveals a gap between existing laws and their practical enforcement. They contend that without consistent action, public support for groups tied to terrorism could become normalised, damaging social cohesion at a time when community tensions remain elevated.