Extract from ABC News
Grace Tame will speak at a Bendigo event later this month. (ABC Radio Melbourne: Rosa Ritchie)
In short:
An International Women's Day event in Bendigo featuring former Australian of the Year and child sexual abuse survivor Grace Tame will go ahead despite calls for it to be cancelled.
A letter from the Australian Jewish Association called on organiser, Be.Bendigo, to cancel Ms Tame's appearance at the event.
What's next?
The sold-out morning tea aims to celebrate Ms Tame's role as "one of Australia’s most influential and courageous voices" through her advocacy against gender-based violence.
An International Women's Day morning tea event in Bendigo featuring 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame will go ahead despite a plea to cancel her appearance.
Earlier this week, the Australian Jewish Association (AJA) wrote to event organiser Be.Bendigo (the region's chamber of commerce), asking that Ms Tame's appearance be scrapped over allegations she led chants members of the Jewish community find hateful during a protest in Sydney last week.
It is understood Be.Bendigo's board and executive spent much of yesterday in meetings discussing the event and Ms Tame's appearance.
The Tasmanian activist has been a strong advocate against gender-based violence and, more recently, has been a vocal critic of Israel.
Grace Tame led chants at a protest in Sydney that were held during Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit to Australia. (ABC News: Jack Fisher)
She was criticised by federal MPs and the NSW premier last week for leading chants of "globalise the intifada" at a protest.
"Globalise the intifada" is a contentious phrase that the NSW government has been considering outlawing under revised hate speech laws.
The word "intifada" means "shaking off" in Arabic and has been used to refer to two periods of violent Palestinian protest against Israel.
Some members of the Jewish community have described it as a hateful call for violence.
The Bendigo event is scheduled for February 27 at the All Season Hotel in the lead-up to the women's global celebration.
Be.Bendigo told the ABC the event would go ahead.
"This year’s theme, Balance the Scales, provides an opportunity to reflect on progress toward fairness and reform for women and children," a spokesperson said.
"This is a business community event marking International Women’s Day. Be.Bendigo remains committed to hosting respectful, constructive conversations."
Grace Tame set up the Grace Tame Foundation, which advocates for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. (ABC News: Marcus Stimson)
'Wrong message'
AJA chief executive Robert Gregory said he had not received a response to his letter, but said Ms Tame's appearance at the event "sends the wrong message not only to Jewish Australians, but to the broader community".
"Hosting and honouring Grace Tame would send a message that incitement is tolerated and would lead Australian Jews to feel unwelcome in Bendigo," Mr Gregory said.
"International Women’s Day should unite communities, not divide them or make any Australians feel unsafe."
Ms Tame did not respond to the ABC's request for comment.
Another Bendigo free-speech controversy
Controversy surrounding Ms Tame's appearance comes several months after the collapse of the Bendigo Writers Festival.
Dozens of writers boycotted the event after a code of conduct was issued telling writers to "avoid language or topics that could be considered inflammatory, divisive, or disrespectful".
It also stipulated that writers at the La Trobe University-sponsored events should adhere to the Universities Australia definition of antisemitism.
The Bendigo Writers Festival will return in 2027, after a one-year break. (Supplied: ArtsHub)
The ABC revealed there had been pressure from a consortium of Jewish academics on major sponsor, La Trobe University, and event organisers about the appearance of Australian-Palestinian academic and writer Randa Abdel-Fattah.
Dr Abdel-Fattah had been due to speak about her new book on censorship within public discourse.
Since the Bendigo controversy, Dr Abdel-Fattah has been uninvited from the Adelaide Writers Festival event following pressure from South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas.
That decision resulted in the resignation of the Adelaide Festival's entire board, and cancellation of the event.
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