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Standing in the chanting crowd of more than 300 with his two-year old son on his shoulders, Matt, 39, said he came to show it was not just students angry at Israel's actions in Gaza.
"Once you understand what is going on you have a responsibility to try and get involved and raise awareness and show solidarity," he told Reuters, declining to give his last name.
A Palestinian flag flutters next to the protest encampment in support of Palestinians in Gaza at The University of Sydney, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Sydney, Australia on May 3, 2024 — Reuters photo
Several hundred metres away from the Sydney university protest and separated by lines of security guards, hundreds gathered under Australian and Israeli flags to hear speakers say the pro-Palestinian protests made Jewish students and staff feel unsafe on campus.
"There's no space for anybody else, walking through campus chanting 'Intifada' and 'from the river to the sea' it does something, it's scary," said Sarah, an academic who declined to give her name for fear of repercussions.
University of Sydney vice chancellor Mark Scott told local media on Thursday the pro-Palestinian encampment could stay on campus in part because there was not the violence seen in the US.
While several police cars were parked at the entrance to the university, no police were present at either protest.
Long a stalwart ally of Israel, Australia has become increasingly critical of its conduct in Gaza, where an Australian aid worker was killed in an Israeli attack last month.
Pro-Palestinian protesters said the government had not done enough to push for peace and led the crowd in chants against Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his government.