Palestinians and activists gather at Town Hall for the 75th anniversary of Al Nakba

CW: This article contains mention of sexual assault.

Palestinian protestors and activists gathered at Sydney Town Hall to commemorate the Nakba on 13 May. “Al Nakba” (النكبة) is Arabic for “the catastrophe” referring to the ethnic cleansing and dispossession of Palestinians by Zionist settlers and paramilitary forces since 1948.

The main message was the importance of solidarity and steadfastness or “sumood” (صمود), reiterating Palestinian livelihood and justice. Led by organisations like the Palestine Action Group, the rally was chaired by member Damian Ridgwell. Speakers denounced the Australian government for their support for Israel, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, demanding Australia end its ties with Israeli apartheid. 

Before the speeches began, there were performances including Lebanese singer Julia Boutros’ patriotic song “I Breathe Freedom”. A sign language interpreter was present and every speaker gave an Acknowledgement of Country. USyd SRC Ethnocultural Officer Rand Khatib, who also chaired the rally, emphasised the strength of Black-Palestinian solidarity with the slogan “From Gadigal to Gaza”. She noted that to be an Indigenous person of a stolen land is a threat in and of itself to the oppressor. 

Randa Abdel Fattah — ex-lawyer, author, scholar, and activist — said that every day is a commemoration as long as Israel’s “system of apartheid” endures. Abdel-Fattah identified a need for global sanctions rather than peace talks or normalisation with a settler-colonial regime based on a “racial supremacy” that “does not have a right to exist”. She pointed out the difference in how the Russian invasion of Ukraine is talked about versus Palestine under Israeli occupation, deeming such activists as “progressives [until] Palestine”.

Nakba survivor Fouad Charida provided his testimony on the Safsaf massacre back in 1948 where men were killed, and women were lined up by the IDF to be raped. He declared that he saw “Palestine in [the crowd’s] eyes” and recited a self-written poem in Arabic. 

Anthony Loewenstein, an investigative journalist, spoke about the need for Jewish people to recognise their violence towards Palestinians during Israel’s birth. He reiterated that Israel does not represent all the Jews in the world. As a proud Jew, he was ashamed of Jewish support of “a colonial project” and said it is time to “shut up and listen” to Palestinians.

Tamil activist Renuga Inpakumar explained the similarities in the Tamil and Palestinian struggles in their respective homelands. Sudanese speaker Sally Khalil spoke about Sudan’s strong anti-occupation stance and provided detail on the current crisis in Sudan, where many Australian citizens remain stranded. 

USyd academic Fahad Ali, a third-generation Palestinian, spoke about the few Nakba survivors left to tell their stories and how over 500 villages were decimated. He spoke about a potential 100th commemoration asking, “how many more years?” Ali also called out feminists who ignore the systematic violence against Palestinian women, including by the Israeli military, and queer allies who cheer on pride flags in Tel Aviv. He emphasised that no “revisionist history” or “institutional censorship” will silence the drive towards Palestinian liberation. 

USYD SRC Global Solidarity Officer Jasmine Al-Rawi spoke about US military support of Israel and the constant conflating of criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. 

Once the speeches concluded, protestors marched from Town Hall through to Pitt St, to Martin Place, King St, and back to Town Hall. The public took notice of the energetic rally and chants like, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” “Shame, shame Israel and USA” and “Resistance is justified, when Palestine is occupied.”

Ridgwell concluded in the proceedings that “mass politics and action” are the most appropriate measures for solidarity and that this is not a matter of taking sides, but an active dismantling of oppression with colonial origins.