A police taskforce has been set up to co-ordinate responses to protest activity in NSW after a widely-condemned pro-Palestine rally on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.

The Monday night rally was held as the NSW government lit the iconic venue in the blue and white of the Israeli flag in solidarity with victims of terrorist attacks by Islamist group Hamas.

Police acting Commissioner David Hudson said the taskforce would capture all intelligence available about community sentiment, potential protest activity and possible demonstrations that might take place in the future.

“The intent of the operation is to ensure community safety, that is always our primary purpose,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

Organisers had planned a second protest for Sunday night but that is unlikely to go ahead after Premier Chris Minns said organisers had shown they were not peaceful.

Mr Hudson said any protest would be unauthorised as the relevant paperwork had not been submitted to police within the required seven-day timeframe.

“I would urge anyone considering attending Town Hall, if they have received notification of assembly, that the situation should be monitored closely and we will be doing further communication and negotiations with those organisers,” he said.

“(Protesters) do not have protections that come from the appropriate issue of (the paperwork) and they will be dealt with appropriately.”

If the rally went ahead, Mr Hudson said it would be met with a strong police presence.
Opera House rally organisers from the Palestine Action Group Sydney defended their right to protest in Australia, saying media coverage had focused on a tiny fringe of “vile anti-Semitic attendees”.

Despite the premier’s statement, the group said they would be back for a protest at Sydney Town Hall on Sunday in a post on Facebook.

More than 1000 people are dead after the Islamist group Hamas attacked Israeli towns from the Palestinian territories on Saturday.

Among them was Sydney grandmother Galit Carbone, who was executed at the Be’eri kibbutz, kilometres from the Gaza Strip.

Mr Minns apologised to the Jewish community for the way the Sydney protest was handled and said he took “full responsibility” and promised it would not happen again.

“The protest organisers have already proven that they’re not peaceful: shouting racial epithets at Jewish community members is not the definition of a peaceful protest,” he said.

“So the idea that they’re going to commandeer Sydney streets is not going to happen.”

Mr Minns said the protest was not consistent with Australia’s multi-faith, multicultural community values.

“I thought it was abhorrent (for protesters) to occupy the Opera House and scream racial epithets at Jewish community members simply because they’re Jewish,” he said.

“I really want to ensure that the Jewish community in NSW feel that they can have full access to this city, that they can enjoy its life, that they can be part of its culture and that they can commemorate together during solemn occasions.”

More than 1000 people attended a pro-Palestine rally outside the Victorian State Library on Tuesday evening.

Reports from Victoria Police indicated there were no major incidents or arrests amid a strong police presence.

A vigil for Israeli victims of the attacks is due to be held in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, an investigation is underway after a car pulled up next to a man on the street and passengers made anti-Semitic threats.

The incident in South Yarra, in Melbourne’s southeast, happened on Tuesday afternoon, just days after the Islamist group Hamas launched an attack on Israel from Gaza, triggering racial tensions around the world.

“There is absolutely no place at all in our society for anti-Semitic or hate-based behaviour,” Victoria Police said on Wednesday.

Melbourne Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating.

More than 1000 Israelis, mostly civilians, have died since the attack began on Saturday.

The death toll from Israel’s retaliatory air strikes is believed to have killed at least 830 people and wounded 4250 in Gaza.

Source: AAP