Pro-Palestine protesters caused bedlam in question time at the City of Greater Bendigo's council meeting on January 29, speaking out of turn, yelling over the top of chair, Mayor Andrea Metcalfe, and ultimately leaving on threat of being ejected.
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The group Free Palestine Bendigo, who hold weekly vigils in Rosalind Park, had given forewarning of their plan to demonstrate at the meeting, and two police officers were present in the Capitol Theatre on Monday night.
In a statement, the activists claimed they had been "compelled" to protest because the council refused to hear their petition on the Gaza war.
"The motion included recognition of the pain caused to many in the Bendigo community by Israel's three-month assault on Gaza, a Palestinian flag-raising ceremony and a commitment by council to investigate and divest from any investments linked to Israel," group member Diaa Abu Elias was quoted as saying.
New CEO Andrew Cooney had rejected the petition on the grounds of its "specific nature" and the fact it concerned "a matter that cannot be directly managed or influenced by the City".
At the meeting the protesters took turns to ask questions about the possibility of the City expressing solidarity for Palestinians in Gaza, contrasting the rejection of the petition with instances of past council support for Ukraine.
Questioners referred to the petition as being largely copied from one recently passed by Darebin Council, not mentioning that the issue was also controversial in the Melbourne municipality.
Anger and outrage at the responses they received frequently erupted into shouting.
Issue a very complex one with multiple sides, CEO says
Called on to answer questions about it, Mr Cooney described the Gaza war as "a very significant complex issue with multiple sides".
The mayor told one activist there would be no vote on the petition, while Cr Margaret O'Rourke assured another theirs was not the only group for whom police had been called to a meeting.
As question time ended, a few of the protesters took up a "Free Palestine" chant and were asked to leave.
Wesley Harrison, of Flora Hill, claimed their action came as a last resort.
"The reason we are here is we have emailed, we have petitioned, we have gathered, we have organised, we have used every available means that civil citizens would," he said.
"Constantly we are rebuffed."
Mr Cooney told the Advertiser that the council didn't have a formal position on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
"It is the City's view that the best contribution it can make to international relations is ensuring that all religious and ethnic groups continue to feel welcome and included in our community," he said.
"The council-endorsed social justice framework guides our work in promoting the principle of a peaceful and prosperous co-existence for all."
