“The Intifada is already globalised” – rally met by counter-protest

A controversial rally centred on the slogan “Globalise the Intifada” drew around 150 people to Charles Kernan Reserve in Darlington last night. Nearby a similarly sized counter-protest condemned the phrase as inflammatory and threatening to Jewish communities.

The rally organised by Stop The War On Palestine was promoted under the title “Why It’s Right to Say: Globalise the Intifada”. It had originally been scheduled to take place at the East Sydney Community and Arts Centre before City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore revoked the booking following mounting criticism from Jewish organisations, media, politicians and community leaders. Among others, the rally was supported by members of Pride in Protest, the organisation that tried to stop Dayenu’s participation in the 2026 Mardi Gras.

Among those present at the Darlington rally were NSW Greens MP Jenny Leong and Cumberland councillor Ahmed Ouf who spoke at the rally. Ouf told the crowd it was “a must” to globalise the intifada, urging attendees not only to say the slogan but to live it. “I am a globalise the intifada walking on the face of the earth,” he said, adding that people needed to “break the internal chains and invite others” by standing against oppression, occupation and injustice.

Sara Saleh, a race-critical human rights lawyer, encouraged crowds to chant the phrase as an act of resistance and solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. Ed Carroll, a reportedly Jewish activist who has faced arrest in Queensland for using the slogan, contributed via a television stream in support of the forum’s defence of the expression as protected political speech.

The venue cancellation became a flashpoint in the wider debate over antisemitism, free speech and social cohesion, with NSW Premier Chris Minns publicly criticising the slogan before the event.

At the same time, a counter-rally was organised a short distance away in Sydney Park by Combat Antisemitism, StandWithUs Australia and Never Again Is Now.

The counter-event featured speakers from Jewish, Israeli, Iranian and Christian backgrounds, alongside music from social media personality Trombone Tony, who sang several songs accompanied by his guitar and spoke about the Bondi Beach terror attack.

Opening the gathering, organisers described the issue as one affecting “the future of Australia” and warned against attempts to “globalise the Bondi intifada”.

A large screen behind the stage displayed images linked to past intifadas and terror attacks.

“It’s hard to look at. It’s terrorism,” attendees were told.

Iranian-Australian speaker Ali Beikzadeh spoke about persecution under the Islamic Republic of Iran, describing what he called “47 years of intifada” against the Iranian people.

Israeli speaker Ofir Birembaum described living through the intifada in Israel and warned against extremist rhetoric becoming normalised in Australia.

StandWithUs Australia executive director Michael Gencher told the crowd that cancelling the original venue booking was not enough.

“We are pleased the original event was cancelled, but this cannot be treated as the end of the matter,” Gencher said.

“The attempt to normalise slogans such as ‘Globalise the Intifada’ will not disappear because one forum was stopped. We will need to remain vigilant, clear and united in pushing back whenever this language is used, excused, or dressed up as legitimate political debate.”

Gencher said the counter-rally demonstrated concern extending beyond the Jewish community.

“Tonight’s gathering showed exactly that. This was not just a Jewish community issue,” he said.

“People of different faiths, cultures and backgrounds stood together, including Jews, Christians, Persians, Israelis, Australians, Coptic Christians and others.

“They did not all come from the same political or religious viewpoint, but they stood together because they understand that this language is not peaceful, harmless or abstract. It is tied to violence, terror, intimidation and murder.”

He said public spaces should not be used to defend slogans that intimidate communities or glorify violence.

“This has no place in Sydney, no place in Australia, and no place anywhere,” he said.

In a speech referencing George Orwell’s “1984”, Gencher accused activists of attempting to sanitise the meaning of the slogan.

“We all understand the warning in 1984. When language is manipulated, truth is not clarified. It is buried,” he said.

“That is the danger of Newspeak. Words are not used to explain reality, but to distort it. They are softened, inverted, sanitised, and stripped of consequence until people are told to accept something offensive as something harmless.

“That is exactly what is happening with the phrase ‘globalise the intifada’.”

Gencher rejected claims the slogan was harmless political speech.

“No one should pretend this is just a slogan. No one should sanitise it. No one should dress it up as resistance, awareness, liberation, or political expression,” he said.

“‘Intifada’ is not an innocent word. It is a word tied to terror, murder, suicide bombings, stabbings, shootings, and the targeting of Jewish civilians.

“To globalise that is not a call for peace. It is not a call for dialogue. It is not a call for justice. It is a threat.”

He linked the slogan to recent antisemitic violence, including the December 2025 terror attack at the “Chanukah by the Sea” event at Bondi Beach.

“We saw it in Bondi. We just saw it in Golders Green,” he said.

“We have seen Jewish schools, synagogues, community centres and Jewish-owned businesses targeted, vandalised, threatened, and attacked across the world.

“This is not theory. This is not a metaphor. This is not harmless rhetoric.

“The Intifada is already globalised.”

Gencher said attempts to redefine the slogan were “distorted, misleading and dangerous”.

“We are here because words matter. Meaning matters. Truth matters,” he said.

“And the truth is simple: incitement does not become acceptable because an activist tells you so. Violence does not become righteous because it is chanted by the mob. Antisemitism does not become legitimate because it is disguised as politics.”

“So let us be clear. We will not allow language tied to terror and murder to be sanitised. And we will not allow the targeting of Jewish communities to be excused, normalised or globalised.

“Not in Sydney. Not in Australia. Not anywhere.”