Australian Mosque Protesters heckle PM Albanese over Israel and Gaza stance

Protesters heckled and booed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday during a visit to Australia's largest mosque for ​Eid al-Fitr prayers, voicing anger over his stance on ally Israel's ‌offensive in Gaza. 

Some in Australia's Muslim and Jewish communities are angry over a fine line walked by the centre-left government since the Gaza war began, expressing concern for Palestinians, repeatedly urging a ceasefire, ​and backing Israel's right to self-defence.

Video images showed protesters interrupting proceedings about ​15 minutes after Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke joined ⁠worshippers at Lakemba Mosque in western Sydney to mark the end of the ​Muslim fasting month of



Ramadan. 

Demonstrators booed, told Albanese and Burke to "Get out!" and called ​them "genocide supporters", referring to Israel's killing of Palestinians in Gaza, following an attack by Hamas militants in 2023.

"Dear brothers and sisters, keep calm a little bit," one of the organisers told the ​crowd, urging people to sit down and stop filming the exchange. "It is Eid. ​It is a joyful day." 

A security guard was seen tackling one heckler to the ground before ‌escorting ⁠him away. "Shame on you!" yelled protesters who followed Albanese and Burke when they left. 

The mosque event was "incredibly positive", Albanese said later, despite the incident.