Pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanting “Death to the IDF” marched through Melbourne on July 6, 2025, just 48 hours after a synagogue was set ablaze, escalating tensions in Australia’s second-largest city. The rally, attended by nearly 1,000 people, followed a series of violent incidents targeting Jewish and Israeli-affiliated sites, prompting condemnation from officials and Jewish leaders.
The march, starting at the State Library and ending at Flinders Street Station, featured young girls leading chants of “Death to the IOF” (Israeli Occupational Forces) and placards with messages like “Death to the IDF,” “Glory to the Martyrs,” and “Israel is a Fascist Entity,” according to Sky News.
The route passed within a 15-minute walk of the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, where a fire was allegedly set on July 4 by Angelo Loras, a 34-year-old from New South Wales. Twenty worshippers escaped unharmed through a rear exit as firefighters battled the blaze. Loras, charged with arson, endangering life, property damage, and possessing a controlled weapon, was remanded in custody after appearing in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on July 6, with his next hearing set for July 22.
