Despite mayor’s cancellation, ‘Globalize the intifada’ event proceeds in Sydney

An event seeking to promote the slogan “Globalize the intifada” is happening in a park in Sydney after the city’s mayor had blocked it from taking place in a state council-owned venue.

The event, which was canceled yesterday after fears that it would spark violence, attracted just about 150 people and was held without major incident, according to local news reports.

The forum was intended to defend the phrase against efforts to ban it, and drew strong criticism from politicians and Jewish leaders. Australian lawmakers have sought to proscribe the use of the slogan in public debate since the deadly terror shooting targeting a Hanukkah celebration at the city’s Bondi Beach in December, which killed 15 people.

#GlobaliseTheIntifada public meeting now in a park in #Redfern because ⁦@cityofsydney⁩ canceled the booked venue pic.twitter.com/TFT2pOqTtU

— Green Left (@GreenLeftOnline) May 5, 2026

“We reject the implication… that our meeting risks public safety and respect for members of the community,” the organizers write on Instagram.

The phrase has become a flashpoint in public debate, with Jewish groups and others viewing it as a call to antisemitic violence because the first and second intifadas were violent Palestinian uprisings that killed hundreds of Israeli civilians. Defenders of the slogan say it is a legitimate expression of political speech, and accuse critics of suppressing pro-Palestinian advocacy.

In a statement on social media yesterday, Mayor Clover Moore said the event risked “contributing to hostility and fear.”