A prominent pro-Palestinian activist has insisted that outrage over plans to disrupt an Australian Christmas tradition has not harmed his cause.
Australian Palestine Defense Network president Nasser Mashni refused to criticize the protest when interviewed by Jacqui Felgate on Friday.
Myer’s famous annual Christmas window reveal scheduled for Sunday at its Bourke Street CBD store was canceled due to security concerns, after pro-Palestinian group Disrupt Wars planned to meet and ‘Crash the Christmas windows’ at the event.
The group then canceled its own protest amid public furor.
Nashni did not take part in the planned protest, but is directly involved in the weekly Sunday protests in Melbourne.
When he appeared on 3AW Drive, Felgate repeatedly asked him if he had supported Myer’s protest before it was cancelled.
“I am not going to condemn any kind of legal action that tries to highlight what is happening to the Palestinian people,” Mashni responded.
But Felgate persisted, wanting to know if the protest plans had poorly reflected pro-Palestinian activism.
Nasser Mashni (pictured) refused to say the furor over Myer’s protest had harmed his cause.
“This particular protest that was planned – and I understand it won’t happen – but the only reason it won’t happen is because of public backlash, so has this hurt your cause?”
“I think it has given us the opportunity to talk 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 protest planned for the opening of the windows.
When asked why, he said because the police had asked him to.
He rejected the suggestion that the “small group of riffraff” threatening to ruin Myer’s revelation 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 Myer’s performance has been canceled in its nearly 70-year history – the event was canceled in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.
The cancellation of the traditional event has drawn the ire of Jewish leaders.
Jacqui Felgate (pictured) repeatedly asked Mashni if she supported the plan to ‘break’ Christmas windows.
‘Is nothing sacred anymore?’ community leader and Anti-Defamation chair Dr Dvir Abramovich told the Herald Sun.
‘This is not about freedom of expression: it is a toxic hijacking of a family tradition that has no place in any community.
“Melbourne’s Christmas window displays are about peace, unity and Christmas magic, not spreading discord and confrontation.”