Albanese confronted by protesters at Lakemba mosque

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was surrounded by protesters yelling “shame” and “disgrace” during Eid prayers at Lakemba Mosque on Friday morning, forcing him into a rushed escape.

Albanese was attending the prayers, held to mark the end of the month of Ramadan, alongside Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.

One source of anger was Albanese’s support for Israel, with those in the crowds mentioning the wars in Gaza and Lebanon as key to their frustrations.

Others mentioned the police actions at the protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog, where Muslims were forcibly removed while they were praying at Town Hall in February.

Neither the prime minister nor Burke spoke to the incensed crowd. Attendees shouted over a speech being made by Gamel Kheir, the secretary of the Lebanese Muslim Association, which owns and runs the mosque.

Kheir was giving one of the speeches traditionally delivered after the prayer, with Albanese and Burke seated just ahead of him. A crowd formed a circle around the official party, shouting Kheir down and demanding to know why the prime minister was invited.

“Why is he here? Get him out of here! It’s a disgrace,” one man shouted, as the mosque event descended in chaos.

While some called for calm, and for the protesters to sit down and hear the speeches, the crowd would not be talked down, despite Kheir calling for more robust engagement with politicians and the government.

This masthead understands that there were initial discussions to have Albanese give a speech at the event, but the mosque’s organisers demanded he just attend and listen.

Traditionally, the mosque hosts politicians from state and federal level at the Eid prayers, and many have given speeches in previous years.

“We must engage and have frank and open dialogue with our political leaders, and not shy away and be reclusive,” Kheir was saying, as the crowd began pushing and shoving.

As Kheir attempted to wrap up his speech, one man claimed, shouting: “You called him honourable, when he is responsible for millions of Muslim deaths.”

Albanese and Burke were then rushed into the mosque’s office amid a crush of people, some attempting to confront the prime minister.

“Why are you protecting him?” another man shouted as Albanese and Burke attempted to leave the mosque.

“We have the right to be angry”, another shouted as the crowd pushed and shoved to get closer to Albanese, who was also being called a “putrid dog”.

A stand-off then ensued, with protesters waiting outside the mosque’s office for Albanese, while organisers attempted to find a way around them.

Albanese was able to escape via a back door, but was chased by the crowd. Some yelled “Alba-tizi” after him, a play on his name, combining it with the colloquial Arabic word for buttocks.

Others shouted “shame on you” at Albanese until he was able to drive away.

The prime minister played down the incident at a press conference later on Friday, telling reporters that “overwhelmingly the reception was incredibly positive”.

“I walked through the crowd to the mosque and not a single person heckled. There were a couple of hecklers inside.

“It was about respect for a very important day, Eid, for the Muslim community there.”

Albanese also said that some of the anger directed towards him was based on the government’s decision to outlaw “extremist organisations”. None of the protesters mentioned this.

One of the men who shouted out at the leader, 29-year-old Ibrahim Seklaoui, said it was a “disgrace he was sitting there” and said the anger in the crowd reflected how the Australian Muslim community was feeling.

“He wants to come here after shaking hands with the president of Israel, who’s got blood on his hands. And that means our prime minister has blood on his hands. And to come here and act like nothing has happened is a disgrace,” he said.

He said Albanese’s attendance had “disrespected” the Muslim community because “when one of us bleeds, we all bleed”.

“So to watch our brothers and sisters overseas be in pain, and then you want to come here and be welcomed in open arms? Everyone here has pain in their hearts.”

Kheir said after the event that he “respected people’s opinions” and that he knew something “controversial” was going to happen.

“I think the community showed a lot of courage in welcoming him given what is happening overseas. There’s always a difference of opinion in the community, and we’re not saying what is right or wrong here.”

Kheir denied that much of the community was just as angry but said: “I do believe they have the right to be angry.

“I don’t validate what or how they did it, but they do have some valid arguments. I think this shows the community wants to, and needs to, vent at politicians.

“But maybe not in the way it was done today.”

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