Local Palestinian activist Gareth Smith has claimed that coverage of his actions by www.ballinanewsdaily.com.au has been unfair. Former Nationals candidate for the state seat of Lismore and publisher of www.ballinanewsdaily.com.au, Rod Bruem, published Byron Bay’s serial protestor launches yet another hateful attack on Jewish-owned business on January 8.
The former Ballina councillor is well known for his controversial comments – https://www.echo.net.au/2024/08/ballina-council-requests-apology-from-rod-bruem/
Gareth Smith has been a vocal critic of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and leads the Palestine Liberation Centre. He told The Echo that he objected to Bruem’s article which claimed he and his wife had staged, a ‘protest’ outside a Jewish cafe on Ballina’s Main Street. In a video posted on the site he and his wife are accosted by Ballina News Daily and accused of staging a ‘demonstration’ and taking up a disabled car space, to which Mr Smith replies that he as a ‘disabled’ sticker on the car. In that article Smith is also accused of attacking a Jewish-owned business in Marvell St Byron Bay and a Jewish-owned business in Brunswick Heads over an extended period.
Regarding the most recent Ballina incident Smith said, ‘The truth is that we often park on River Street to attend Specsavers audiologist appointments and this particular appointment had been made in November’.
‘Our car is painted with pro-Palestine/Aboriginal messages for example, “Palestinian Land/Aboriginal Land. Always Was, Always Will Be”.
‘The tailgate carried, “In the face of genocide silence is complicity” until someone painted a swastika across it!’, he said.
‘There is nothing racist or antisemitic on the car because we recognise the distinction between antisemitism and Judaism and are very well aware of the massive support for Palestine given by Jews.
‘The article spawned a host of negative comments and because some threatened us with violence, the police in Byron and Sydney were informed’.
Smith said he believes he has been targeted by a local politician who reported him to police.
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