Palestine and Israel supporters square off in Melbourne after burger bar fire

Violence has erupted as pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protesters squared off in Melbourne’s south-east after a suspicious fire at a nearby burger shop.

Police used pepper spray as a fight broke out in the middle of Hawthorn Road in Caulfield South on Friday night.

Pro-Palestine supporters rallied in Princes Park and were greeted on the other side of the road by pro-Israel demonstrators, with police standing between the groups.

“There were two groups with approximately 200 people in each group demonstrating,” police said.

Officers said one man was pepper-sprayed and removed from the area under breach of the peace provisions and another man reported receiving minor injuries after being hit by a rock.

Police said in a statement they “will investigate both incidents further and will review CCTV and vision from the event to detect any other offences”.

The clash took place near a synagogue and Burgertory’s Caulfield store, which was severely damaged in a blaze on Friday morning.

The burger chain’s founder and boss, Hash Tayeh, believes the fire was a hate crime after he was filmed at a pro-Palestine rally leading a “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” chant.

“Two weeks ago we started receiving threats,” the Palestinian-Australian told reporters.

“My voice will not be silenced. I will be out there every Sunday calling for a ceasefire and calling for peace.”

While police are treating the fire as suspicious, they are confident it was not religiously or politically motivated.

“I would warn people not to make assumptions or draw lines of inquiry that aren’t there between this incident and anything else that is occurring,” Victoria Police Insp Scott Dwyer said.

Officers also intervened after a dispute outside the business earlier in the day.

Victoria’s premier, Jacinta, Allan called for Victorians to show each other love, care and support as the war rages in the Middle East.

“It is our diversity that makes us great, and our compassion that unites us – there is never any place for antisemitism or Islamophobia in Victoria,” she said in a statement.

Opposition leader John Pesutto echoed her words.

“The ugly scenes we have witnessed tonight are unacceptable,” he wrote on social media.