Liberal senator Dave Sharma is backing calls to ban pro-Palestinian protests in the city centre

Liberal senator Dave Sharma has backed an anti-Semitic envoy’s call to ban pro-Palestinian protests in Australian city centres, saying they are allowed to “dominate” the streets and infringe on the rights of others.

Last week, the government’s special envoy for anti-Semitism, Gillian Segal, said she understood protesters’ concerns about the war and their right to demonstrate. .

“There should be designated places where the Jewish community can venture, where people can demonstrate,” she said.

Speaking to SBS News at a pro-Israel rally on Sunday, Sharma said pro-Palestinian protesters had been “allowed to dominate our streets in a way that infringes on the rights of other Australians”.

“I respect their right to peaceful assembly and protest, but I think the frequency and location of these protests is now in itself an act of intimidation,” he said.

Sharma also backed calls to ban protests outside places of worship – a move the NSW government is considering.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also backed calls to ban protests near places of worship.

“I also don’t see why they need to be allowed to disrupt the central business district and shopping areas of our major capital cities every week in such a way that Jewish Australians stay away,” Sharma said.

“I think it’s a loss of their rights.”

Sharma said that, by contrast, pro-Israel protests don’t happen every week and they “work together with the police.”

“They don’t happen outside the mosques – they don’t go to Lakemba or the heart of Australia’s Muslim community,” he said.

“They do it in a way that I think is respectful of other communities.”

Organizers of the pro-Palestinian protests have previously said the demonstrations are peaceful and condemned any or Australian Jews have also become part of the pro-Palestinian protests.

Segal’s comments came after recent events and Melbourne. in the Melbourne suburb of Ripponley on December 6. Separately with anti-Israel graffiti in Sydney’s east last week.