Yesterday, Palestine Action Group Sydney and Fighting in Solidarity Towards Treaties (FISTT) rallied in Town Hall in condemnation of the Nakba, the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, and Israel’s almost forty-year-long campaign of displacement and genocide in the area. Particular emphasis was placed on the parallels between the ongoing colonial oppressions faced by Palestinians in Gaza and by First Nations peoples in Australia.
The rally was chaired by Lebanese and Gomeroi activist Tallulah Brown and Palestine Action Group organiser Assala Sayara. Sayara, born in the West Bank, spoke of her experience migrating to Australia and the realisation that it too was a colonial state.
“When I migrated to Australia, I had no idea I was leaving a stolen land and coming to another stolen land.”
“To stand for Palestine means to stand for the rights of Aboriginal people, and to stand for the rights of Aboriginal people means to stand for the rights of Palestinians,” Sayara stated.
Palestinian psychologist Hanan Dover addressed the healthcare crises in Gaza propagated by Israeli occupation. “A few weeks ago, the occupying forces killed a Palestinian psychologist in Gaza. Trauma-informed therapists are already limited in the region as Palestinians suffer from the traumas of Israeli war crimes,” Dover noted.
Indigenous musician and poet Neil Morris, also known as DRMGNOW, spoke on the international fights for First Nations’ self-determination.
“We know across the whole world where there are Indigenous people, everything set up to displace them is based upon lies and illegitimacy,” said Morris.
Palestinian lecturer and academic Dr Lana Tatour also addressed the transnational nature of settler-colonial violence, including the resistance against such violence, noting that “our liberation is connected. Liberation of one is liberation of all, and we are not liberated until we are all liberated.”
The crowd marched to Belmore Park, with chants such as “Israel, USA, how many kids have you killed today?” carrying down George Street, following a spoken word piece by Lebanese poet Mahmoud Hijazi, as well as a performance piece by Palestine Action Group members.
