Australian PM Protested Over Israel's Attacks on Gaza During Eid Prayer Meeting

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Australia’s largest mosque to meet with Eid al-Fitr worshippers. During the meeting with the Eid congregation, Albanese received protests over his stance on the allied Israel’s attacks in Gaza. According to Reuters on Saturday (21/3/2026), parts of the Muslim and Jewish communities in Australia are angry over the fence-sitting attitude taken by the centre-left government since the Gaza war began, which has expressed concern for Palestine, repeatedly called for a ceasefire, and supported Israel’s right to self-defence. Video footage shows protesters interrupting the event about 15 minutes after Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke joined the worshippers at Lakemba Mosque in western Sydney on Friday (20/3) to mark the end of the Ramadan fasting month. The demonstrators jeered, telling Albanese and Burke to “Get out!” and calling them “genocide supporters,” referring to the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza by Israel following the 2023 Hamas militant attacks. “Dear brothers and sisters, please calm down a bit,” said one of the organisers to the crowd, urging people to sit down and stop recording the incident. “This is Eid al-Fitr. This is a day full of joy.” A security officer was seen tackling a protester to the ground before escorting them away. “Shameful!” shouted the protesters who followed Albanese and Burke as they left. The event at the mosque was “very positive,” Albanese said afterwards, despite the incident. “If there are a few people jeering in the middle of a 30,000-person crowd, that should be viewed in that perspective,” he told reporters, adding that the community had handled the protesters. He added that some frustration stemmed from the government’s designation this month of the Islamist organisation Hizbut Tahrir as a banned hate group under laws triggered by the deadly mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney on 14 December.