Town Hall Palestine protest: Why I waved an Israeli flag at Sydney rally

A church minister has recalled the horrifying moment he was chased away by an ‘angry mob’ after gatecrashing a pro-Palestine rally and waving an Israeli flag.

Mark Leach had arrived at the rally, organised by the Palestine Action Group Sydney, at Town Hall in the city’s CBD on Monday afternoon.

He had hidden the flag inside a tennis bag before taking it out and waving it off to the side of the protest where furious pro-Palestine activists had gathered.

Dramatic footage showed the moment Mr Leach, who was wearing a clergy collar, was confronted by a ‘small mob.’

He was shooed away from the steps while pro-Palestine chants were heard in the background with one man screaming: ‘Get out of here’.

Mr Leach defended his actions revealing he was drawn to take drastic steps as he was the child of a ‘German Jewish mother who fled the Holocaust’.

Mr Leach, who donned a clergy collar, was then quickly confronted by a ‘small mob of large, angry Muslims hurling abuse’, who shooed him away from the steps at Town Hall 

‘I wanted to make a small stand against the genocidal hatred of Hamas being supported by the pro Palestinian mob,’ he wrote on social media platform X.

‘I wanted to show the Jews of Australia that Christians (who after all are simply followers of a Jew), would stand for them, and for Israel, in the face of such hatred and contempt. 

‘On this afternoon I was chased off the steps of the Cathedral. I ran, followed by a small mob of large angry Muslims hurling abuse at me. 

‘I ran onto George St and hid behind a police van. The police dispersed the group who were looking for me. I have not been that scared in a long, long time.’

Mr Leach said Australia was ‘the best country in the world’ but added democracy and free speech was ‘being eroded’ on Monday’s protest.

‘I took a tiny stand because we cannot, we must not, give in to such fear,’ he said.

‘We cannot fear upsetting Islamic sensibilities and so self-censor our speech and religion and policing.’

He later conceded the situation at Town Hall had been ‘too volatile’ and he instead moved to the Sydney Opera House to watch the sails be illuminated in blue and white in support of Israel.

Mr Leach is seen being confronted by pro-Palestine supporters after he turned up to the rally with an Israel flag

A man in a high-vis shirt screamed at Mr Leach to ‘get out of here’ 

‘They (the police) were at pains to tell me that they could not guarantee my safety in this situation, although they would do their best,’ he tweeted after leaving the protest.

Mr Leach is the father of young Liberal candidate Freya Leach, who was snapped throwing pamphlets supporting Palestine into the bin at Sydney University.

The photo had been shared by the university’s student newspaper, Honi Soit.

‘So much for speaking freely,’ the caption read.

Ms Leach, who campaigned for the seat of Balmain, hit back and defended her stance.

‘If you want to defend the rape, kidnapping and murder of innocent Israeli citizens, I will proudly throw your pamphlets in the bin,’ she tweeted in response.

Mr Leach is the father of young Liberal candidate, Freya Leach , who was snapped throwing pamphlets supporting Palestine into the bin at Sydney University