A man has been arrested after tensions ran high outside a Melbourne synagogue as pro-Israel supporters gathered to counter a pro-Palestine crowd.
Background: Victoria Police said 150 people gathered at Caulfield Shule on Monday evening after a planned pro-Palestine protest was called off at the last minute due to safety concerns.
Despite the cancellation, there was a visible police presence near the synagogue in Caulfield North, in Melbourne's south-east, where a sea of Israeli flags far outnumbered those for Palestine.
Specialist police encircled a small group of pro-Palestine supporters, who held anti-Zionist signs saying "nothing is more antisemitic than Zionism", in an attempt to keep them from the larger pro-Israel group.
The planned demonstration was in response to a talk organised by the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council that included former Israeli justice minister Ayelet Shaked, whose visa into Australia was reportedly rejected.
Pro-Palestinian activists were separated from pro-Israel protesters by police during a rally in Melbourne on Monday. Source: AAP / Diego Fedele
What else to know: The latest round of protests follow Victoria's premier condemning a planned pro-Palestine protest targeting Myer's Christmas windows earlier in November.
Premier Jacinta Allan labelled the small group of activists as "morons" before they walked back plans to interrupt the retailer's famed festive display unveiling event.
What happens next: A 39-year-old Brunswick East man is expected to be charged with breaching the peace and failing to move on.
He was bailed to appear at Moorabbin Magistrates' Court on 14 March.
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