A 20-year-old man rode a horse along Bondi Beach on Monday while waving a Palestinian flag, prompting police to issue a move-on direction and drawing criticism from a Jewish community group, authorities and witnesses said.
The rider, identified in social media posts as Ehtesham Ahmad, an acai business owner who posts to more than 156,000 TikTok followers, had told followers on Instagram and TikTok that he planned to "get on the horse" and "go on the beach and wave the flag." New South Wales Police said officers spoke to the rider after receiving reports at about 6 p.m. that a man was riding a horse "in an unsafe manner near members of the public." The rider complied with the move-on direction and police said there were no reports of injuries. Inquiries into the incident are ongoing.
The stunt came a day after a paddle-out demonstration at Bondi Beach organised by Jews Against the Occupation '48 Australia, which pro‑Palestine activists held on Sunday. Police and witnesses said the event attracted a large counter‑protest on the steps leading down to the beach, with several people waving Australian and Israeli flags. Tensions escalated, several demonstrators clashed and officers intervened. Video footage from the scene showed heated exchanges, including some bystanders shouting at protesters and at least one officer attempting to restore order.
Waverley Mayor Will Nemish said no permission had been given for the demonstration and called the decision to hold it at Bondi "highly provocative." He said he had raised the issue with council, local members of Parliament and police and had written to the state Police Minister seeking action. The Australian Jewish Association also criticised the horseback stunt and the earlier demonstration, with the association's chief executive, Robert Gregory, asking when the government would take action against what he described as "anti‑Israel activists" and saying "Bondi is on edge."
A spokeswoman for Jews Against the Occupation '48 Australia said the response from counter‑protesters was "confronting and absolutely terrifying," and rejected claims the beach was an inappropriate venue. "Bondi isn't owned by anyone in Australia. Our beaches are democratic, open, and belong to everybody," she said.
Premier Chris Minns said political violence was "reprehensible" and said there was no place for assaulting a person because of their political views. He said police would confront politically motivated violence whenever and wherever they saw it and reiterated that laws and rules were in place to keep the public safe.
New South Wales Police confirmed they were called to the beach on Monday evening about the horse riding and said inquiries were continuing. The Daily Mail, which first reported the incident, said it had contacted Mr. Ahmad, Waverley Council and the NSW Government for comment.
The two incidents underline mounting local tensions over demonstrations related to the Israel‑Gaza conflict, which have prompted a series of protests and counter‑protests across Australian cities in recent months. Local officials and police have said they are monitoring planned protests closely and have urged organisers and participants to avoid actions that could escalate into violence or public safety risks.