A pro-Palestine forum defending use of the phrase 'Globalise the Intifada' went ahead, despite the council cancelling permission at the eleventh hour.
The event, called 'Why is it right to say Globalise the Intifada', was set to be held at the East Sydney Community Arts Centre, inner-Sydney, on Tuesday night.
However, it was relocated to Charles Kernan Reserve, in Darlington near Redfern station, after Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore on Monday night.
She retracted permission for the event to be held in a council-owned building as it could use 'hostility and fear'.
Intifada's meaning in Arabic translates to uprising and has been tied to several violent conflicts between Palestinians and Israelis.
'I have long supported the principles of peaceful assembly, protest and freedom of speech,' Moore said in a statement.
'However, these rights must always be balanced with a responsibility to ensure public safety and respect for all members of our diverse community.'
The event, organised by Stop The War on Palestine group, went ahead at the park in Darlington on Tuesday night.
An event, called 'Why is it right to say Globalise the Intifada', went ahead at a park in Darlington, Sydney, on Tuesday night
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore cancelled the rally being held in a council building
'We reject the implication from Clover Moore that our meeting risks public safety and respect for members of the community,' organisers wrote online.
'It is the Murdoch media that has been spreading fear and lies about the forum and about the slogan 'Globalise the Intifada'.'
About 150 people attended the event and activists asked attendees to donate toward the cost of private security guards, which were required by council to hold the event.
Premier Chris Minns had earlier claimed the forum was basically calling for a 'violent uprising' and described the 'intifada' phrase as 'antithetical to the kind of community that you want to live in'.
Several notable figures spoke at the event, including controversial Cumberland Councillor Ahmed Ouf.
'It's a must that we globalise the intifada,' he told attendees.
'I am a globalise the intifada walking on the face of earth, it's in our actions.
'We have to break the internal chains and invite others.'
The event (above) was set to be held in a council building, but Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore cancelled permission at the last minute
About 150 people attended the event (above) on Tuesday night
Pro-Palestine protests have been divisive reoccurrence in Sydney since the current conflict between Palestine and Israel began on October 7, 2023.
Critics of the demonstrations have claimed the protests are antisemitic in nature, while supporters defend them as peaceful and anti-war.
Tensions around the events peaked during Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit to Sydney in February following the terror attack at Bondi Beach, which targeted a Jewish event.
A total of 27 protesters were arrested during marches slamming Herzog's visit and a violent crackdown by police triggered accusations of police brutality.
The strong response came after Premier Chris Minns passed special temporary laws to limit protests and increase police powers.
Those laws were later found to be unconstitutional by the NSW High Court.