SYDNEY, March 20 - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke were met with vocal protest on Friday while attending Eid al-Fitr prayers at Lakemba Mosque, the largest mosque in Australia. The interruption came as a segment of worshippers expressed anger at the centre-left government’s handling of the Gaza war.
Officials had joined congregants to mark the end of Ramadan, but around 15 minutes after their arrival protesters began to heckle and boo. Video footage of the event shows attendees shouting at the two ministers, telling them to "Get out!" and branding them "genocide supporters" in reference to killings of Palestinians in Gaza following an attack by Hamas militants in 2023.
Event organisers attempted to calm the crowd. "Dear brothers and sisters, keep calm a little bit," one organiser is heard saying, urging people to sit and cease filming the disturbance, and reminding those present that it was Eid, a day intended to be joyful.
Security personnel were filmed tackling a heckler to the ground before escorting him from the premises. Albanese and Burke departed the mosque soon after the disruption, with protesters continuing to follow and shout "Shame on you!" as they left.
The unrest at Lakemba follows a separate episode of large-scale protest activity when Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Australia last month at the invitation of Albanese. That visit, which took place after the Bondi mass shooting on December 14 that targeted the Jewish community, drew thousands to a rally in Sydney where clashes with police led to 27 arrests.
The demonstrations reflect tensions within both Muslim and Jewish communities in Australia over a government approach that has attempted to balance expressions of concern for Palestinians, repeated calls for a ceasefire, and affirmation of Israel’s right to self-defence.
Organisers and security interventions played central roles in managing the disruption at Lakemba Mosque, while the episode underscores continuing public sensitivities around the Gaza conflict and visits by political and diplomatic figures.