Albanese Heckled At Sydney Mosque Over Gaza
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was heckled by protesters during an Eid al-Fitr visit to Lakemba Mosque in Sydney on Friday, as anger over his government’s position on the Gaza war spilled into a major public event attended by thousands.
Albanese Heckled At Sydney Mosque
The disruption took place about 15 minutes after Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke joined worshippers at Lakemba Mosque, one of Australia’s largest mosques, for Eid prayers marking the end of Ramadan. Protesters shouted at the prime minister, told him to leave, and accused the government of backing Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Gaza War Fuels Protest Anger
The protest reflected continuing frustration among sections of Australia’s Muslim community over the government’s stance on the war in Gaza. Canberra has repeatedly expressed concern for Palestinian civilians and called for a ceasefire, while also backing Israel’s right to self-defence. That balancing approach has drawn criticism from both Muslim and Jewish communities in Australia.
PM Downplays Incident After Eid Visit
Video from the scene showed organisers trying to calm the crowd and asking people not to disrupt the event. One heckler was restrained and removed by security. As Albanese and Burke left, some protesters continued shouting at them.
Speaking later, Albanese described the overall event as positive and said the disruption came from only a small number of people in a much larger gathering. He also linked some of the anger to the government’s recent decision to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir as a prohibited hate group under laws introduced after the Bondi Beach mass shooting.
The incident comes during a politically sensitive period, with Australia’s handling of the Gaza war continuing to shape debate across communities ahead of the federal election campaign.
