A woman has been charged over an explosive exchange in Bankstown Kmart where she allegedly verbally abused and intimidated a Muslim woman for wearing a pro-Palestine shirt.
In a video that was published by a Muslim woman named Mariam on Friday, an unnamed woman is seen walking up towards Mariam holding up the middle finger.
When the woman finally reached the camera, she yelled “Are you proud of wearing ‘From the river to the sea?'”, a slogan Palestinian advocates use to protest the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.
The woman continued to yell expletives towards Mariam before walking away.
According to a statement from Palestinian activist group, Teaches4Palestine, Miriam alleged that the woman made threatening hand gestures and threw “containers and other projectiles” at her and her daughter prior to recording.
In an interview with the advocacy group, Mariam said she “did not know what was happening” when the exchange occurred.
“She threatened to end my life. My daughter was there as well, which was really appalling,” she said.
“I didn’t know how to protect her, and she marched at me. Came straight to my face, just straight here.”
No threats or projectiles were thrown in the video that was shared by Mariam.
Over the weekend, advocates rallied outside of Bankstown police station, protesting the police’s delayed response.
However, following the protest, NSW Police confirmed that a 39-year-old woman had been arrested and charged for the alleged racially motivated offence.
“Police attached to Bankstown Police Area Command commenced an investigation following reports a woman was allegedly verbally abused and intimated at a shopping centre in Bankstown,” it shared in a statement.
“Following enquiries, about 5.45pm Sunday 22 December 2024, a 39-year-old woman was arrested at a home in Parramatta.”
After she was arrested, the woman was taken to Granville Police station and charged with publicly threatening violence on the grounds of religion, behaving in an offensive manner near a public place/school, using offensive language in/near a public place/school and stalk/intimidate intending in fear of physical harm.
She was denied bail and will appear in Parramatta Local Court today.
The alleged incident occurred weeks after the Australian government backed a resolution calling for Israel to withdraw from occupied Palestinian territories at the United Nations.
The resolution aimed to recognise the “inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, primarily the right to self-determination and the right to their independent state”.
Since October 7, 2023, more than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war on Gaza.
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