Jacqui Felgate's 3AW clash with pro-Palestine protest leader Nasser Mashni over Myer demo
A leading pro-Palestine activist has insisted that outrage over plans to disrupt an Aussie Christmas tradition has not hurt his cause.
A leading pro-Palestine activist has insisted that outrage over plans to disrupt an Aussie Christmas tradition has not hurt his cause.
President of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network Nasser Mashni refused to criticise the protest when interviewed by Jacqui Felgate on Friday.
The famous annual Myer Christmas window-reveal planned for Sunday at its CBD store in Bourke Street was cancelled over safety concerns, after pro-Palestine group Disrupt Wars plans to rally and Crash the Christmas windows at the event.
The group then cancelled its own protest amid a public furore.
Nashni had no involvement in the planned protest, but is directly involved in weekly Sunday protests in Melbourne.
When he appeared on 3AW Drive, Felgate repeatedly asked him if he had supported the Myer protest before it was cancelled.
I’m not going to condemn any sort of legal action that is trying to highlight what is happening to Palestinian people, Mashni replied.
But Felgate persisted, wanting to know if the protest plans had reflected poorly on pro-Palestinian activism.
Nasser Mashni (pictured) refused to say that a furore over the Myer protest had hurt his cause
This particular protest that was planned - and I understand its not going ahead - but the only reason its not going ahead is because of a public backlash, so has this hurt your cause?
I think its given us an opportunity to speak and re-raise all the issues that Palestinians in Palestine are facing, Mashni said.
He confirmed to Felgate he had changed the route of his own protest group to avoid Bourke St and the protest planned for the unveiling of the windows.
When asked why, he said because the police had asked him to.
He shot down the suggestion that the small rabble group that threatened to crash the Myer reveal was detracting from the work he was doing.
The reality is were speaking about Palestine today and we need to speak more about what Israel is doing.
This will be only the second time the Myer unveiling has been cancelled in its almost 70-year history - the event was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.
The cancellation of the time-honoured event has sparked anger from 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 chair Dr Dvir Abramovich told the Herald Sun.
This is not about free speech – its a toxic hijacking of a family-friendly tradition that has no place in any community.
Melbournes Christmas windows are about peace, unity, and holiday magic, not about spreading discord and confrontation.
