A leading pro-Palestinian activist has insisted that outrage over plans to disrupt an Australian Christmas tradition has not hurt his cause.
President of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network Nasser Mashni refused to criticize the protest when interviewed by Jacqui Felgate on Friday.
The famous annual Myer Christmas window unveiling scheduled for Sunday at the Bourke Street CBD store was canceled due to safety concerns, after pro-Palestinian group Disrupt Wars planned to gather at the event and ‘ to crash the Christmas windows’.
The group subsequently canceled its own protest amid public outcry.
Nashni was not involved in the planned protest, but is directly involved in the weekly Sunday protests in Melbourne.
Appearing on 3AW Drive, Felgate repeatedly asked him if he had supported the Myer protest before it was cancelled.
“I am not going to condemn any form of legal action that tries to highlight what is happening to the Palestinian people,” Mashni responded.
But Felgate persisted and wanted to know whether the protest plans had reflected poorly on pro-Palestinian activism.
Nasser Mashni (pictured) refused to say the furor over the Myer protest had damaged his cause
“This particular protest that was planned – and I understand it’s not happening – but the only reason it’s not happening is because of a public backlash. Has this hurt your case?’
“I think it has given us the opportunity to speak and re-raise all the issues that Palestinians face in Palestine,” Mashni said.
He confirmed to Felgate that he had changed the route of his own protest group to avoid Bourke St and the planned protest for the unveiling of the windows.
When asked why, he said because the police asked him to.
He dismissed suggestions that the ‘little gang’ who threatened to disrupt the Myer reveal were detracting from the work he was doing.
“The reality is that today we are talking about Palestine and we need to talk more about what Israel is doing.”
This will be only the second time in its almost 70-year history that the Myer unveiling has been canceled – the event was canceled in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.
The cancellation of the long-standing event has angered Jewish leaders.
Jacqui Felgate (pictured) repeatedly asked Mashni if he supported the plan to ‘crash’ the Christmas windows
“Is nothing sacred anymore?” community leader and anti-defamation chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich told the Herald Sun.
“This is not about freedom of speech – it is a toxic hijacking of a family-friendly tradition that has no place in any community.
“Melbourne’s Christmas window displays are about peace, unity and Christmas magic, not about spreading discord and confrontation.”