A demonstration against anti-Semitism has marched in silence down Auckland’s Queen St this afternoon, a week after a terrorist attack on a Hannukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach left 15 people dead.

Around 200 protesters attended the Kiwis Against Anti-Semitism event, which began in Aotea Square at 3pm on Sunday, with speeches by Jewish community leaders and advocacy groups, including NZ Against Hamas and Kiwis Against Anti-Semitism.

The tone at the event was raw, with speaker after speaker brutal in their assessment of Jewish people being blamed for the conflict in Gaza.

Jewish Council president Juliet Moses told the rally Jews worldwide had faced “marginalisation, harassment, intimidation, threats, discrimination, arson, vandalism, doxing, boycotts, sexual violence, assaults, and murder”.

She said the “war on the Jewish people is always at heart, a war on history, on ideas, on truth, and on freedom itself”.

A rally against anti-semitism took place in Auckland as Australians mourned for the victims. (Source: 1News)

“There is no ceasefire on this war on Jews, it continues unabated and is escalating. No one group has a monopoly on it. It is coming from the far left, the far right and radical Islamism. Jews flourish in free societies, and when they struggle, when they are shunned and imperilled, it is a sign that society is decaying.”

Speakers criticised academics, politicians, union leaders, the media, and the Government for what they said was inaction.

Organiser Lucy Rogers told 1News the attack at Bondi Beach was “an atrocious thing”.

“We have to speak up against the normalisation of anti-Semitism across the country and across the western world.”

She had issued explicit instructions for attendees not to bring signs with profanity or hatred to other groups, including Muslims.

“There are segments in our community who will react in a negative way towards Muslims, and I wanted to discourage that.”

Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, who attended today’s rally, said the Jewish community in New Zealand was hurting.

“There’s a real sense that what happened [in Bondi] could have happened to this Jewish community,” he told 1News.

“That’s why I’m here, not because I favour Israel or the Jewish community, but I know if they’re not safe, nobody is. Any group should be able to assemble like this, and I think it’s important the Government comes in and supports them.”