Consider this. There are two demonstrations in town at the same time. One is a rather aggressive, large group of protestors threatening violence against citizens; they should shout slogans and carry signs that incite violence. The other is a smaller group of ordinary citizens, walking quietly; they, too, carry flags and some signs, but none incite violence. There are no speeches or chants, just a quiet demonstration.
Which would you prefer in your city? If you went to the city and happened to pass by one of these demonstrations, would you want to be confronted by a screaming mob or a quiet group of peaceful demonstrators?
Yes, I have loaded the question to absurdity. No one who is not part of the screaming mob or strongly aligned with their motivation would want their peaceful city taken over by loud, aggressive mobs. No matter the cause.
And what would you want the police to do if the two demonstrations converged on each other? I guess that would be more difficult, as it would depend on police resources at the time and the size of the two demonstrations. You would not want to have them merge, as we know what would happen. But, and this is important, if a demonstration was planned and authorised at a specific location, then the Police should ensure that that demonstration had the priority at that location. Moreover, the Police should ensure they have sufficient resources to protect the demonstrators from aggressors.
Unfortunately, for many Western Cities, aggressive and unseemly demonstrations have become a weekly occurrence. They have been called pro-Palestinian demonstrations, but in practice, they would be better characterised as anti-Israel or pro-Hamas demonstrations. No matter the justification, no one would have cared had they been peaceful. But no, their marches were provocative, specifically targeting synagogues and Jewish-dominated areas. The chants were genocidal and anti-Semitic. It was not just Israel they demonised, but Jews. Also, they incited violence against Jews, and they were themselves violent.
What did the police do to ensure the many laws against hate speech, incitement to violence, and to protect the rights of non-demonstrators to use public roads and parks? In Australia, they did nothing. They allowed the demonstrators to take over the streets. They allowed racist anti-Semitism and genocidal chants to continue. They allowed the flags of Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation, contrary to the law. They only acted when there was property damage and seemed reluctant even then. When pro-Israel demonstrators happened to be in the same areas, the police invariably forced the peaceful demonstrators to leave. Why? They were afraid they could not enforce their will on the aggressive mob. That is the epitome of police failure.
No society can survive if those charged with protecting the rights of all citizens simply abandon their jobs when they are needed most.
A recent episode was recorded by Rebel News' Avi Yemini and is well worth a view.
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