Hundreds of protesters gathered in Melbourne, Australia, to demonstrate against Hamas and call for the release of the Israeli hostages, while a protest supporting Hamas and opposing Israel took place on the opposite side of the street.
Within a short time, violent altercations began between the two protests, and local police forces were obliged to separate them.
In Sydney, 5000 supporters of Israel joined a gathering to demand the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, with some of the hostages' families in attendance.
Alexander Ryvchin, a member of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, commented: "We now know that evil exists, and we know what it looks like. As our people have learned through bitter experience, evil cannot be bargained with or placated. It can only destroy or be destroyed. If, before October 7, the world did not know what we, as Jews and Zionists, were fighting for. Now, at least, they know what we are fighting against. And we, our generation, have seen that antisemitism may slumber, but it never dies. Now, it exists in chants in our streets. It mocks our businesses. It tries to terrorize us in our homes and in our synagogues. And if it is not confronted by us all, it will devour once more. But we know who we are. We know that we are the eternal people, the custodians of the eternal truth of the Torah. And we know that with our fellow Australians in the civilized, peace-loving world, we will complete our mission to defeat evil and bring light to the world."
At the same time, 50,000 protesters supporting Hamas gathered in Melbourne shouting slogans like "Israelis out" and "Free Palestine".
Other parts of Australia also saw protests supporting Hamas and opposing Israel, and demanding that the two sides declare an immediate ceasefire.