It was a sobering and surreal sight: tens of thousands (some estimates put the crowd over 100,000) marching across the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge–not for peace, not for hostages, not for coexistence–but for intifada. For those unfamiliar, “intifada” isn’t a call for dialogue. It is a rallying cry for violent uprising, one historically associated with suicide bombings, the murder of Jewish civilians, and the glorification of terror.

On a gloomy Sunday, under the guise of a so-called “March for Humanity,” Sydney bore witness to a brazen show of solidarity–not with innocent Palestinians caught in conflict, but with Hamas itself. This wasn’t a peace rally. This was a mob celebration of radicalism. Ironically it was hard to find a single Australian flag raised during the rally.  Instead, Islamists could be seen setting Australian flags on fire.

Signs told the story louder than speeches. Taliban and ISIS flags waved in the wind. One demonstrator proudly held an image of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Another sign–perhaps the most chilling–depicted the Star of David merged with a Nazi swastika, declaring “Zionists are neo-Nazis.” It’s a grotesque irony, smearing the Jewish state born from the ashes of the Holocaust with the very symbol of its tormentors.

This wasn’t an isolated expression of misguided emotion. This was a coordinated, hate-fueled political rally, permitted by the Supreme Court of New South Wales despite police warnings about public safety and traffic chaos. Less than 24 hours before the march began, legal barriers were dropped, and thousands flooded the streets, many cloaked in Palestinian flags, fists raised not for peace, but for vengeance.

Even the slogans echoed a deeper hostility. “Shame on Israel,” “Shame on the USA,” “Death to the IDF,” and the ever-present “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”–a phrase that erases Israel entirely. A drawing of Netanyahu with a Hitler mustache? Holocaust comparisons? Khamenei posters? This wasn’t a march for justice. It was a mask-off moment of radical hate.

So how did we get here? How did Australia, long a stalwart ally of Israel, find itself hosting one of the largest pro-Hamas marches outside the Islamic world?

The answer lies partly in demographics. Over the past two decades, Australia’s Muslim population has grown significantly, with Islam now the second-largest religion in the country. According to the 2021 census, Muslims make up 3.2% of Australia’s population, up from just 1.5% in 2001. And within that population, public polling has consistently shown that views on Israel skew sharply negative–especially among younger, politically active Muslims.

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