A hundred people gathered outside the office of Anthony Albanese today to protest the Australian government’s complicity in the genocide in Palestine.
Organised by Students for Palestine, the rally was chaired by Jasmine Al-Rawi who condemned the recent and continued violence endured by Palestinians in Gaza, “What we are seeing is genocide. What we are seeing is ethnic cleansing. What we are seeing are war crimes.”
Al-Rawi underlined that for children, “Doctors in Gaza have coined a new term — WCNSF — which stands for “Wounded Children No Surviving Family.” And that is the case for tens of thousands of children in Gaza who have no family members left because of the massacres that Israel is raining down on Gaza.”
USyd SRC First Nation’s officer Ethan Floyd spoke first, drawing attention to his previous membership with the Labor party and his recent departure, “as an activist and as an ally to Palestinians in Gaza, in the West Bank, and those living in the diaspora, I couldn’t remain a member of a party that refuses to stand against apartheid.”
Floyd encouraged any other members in the crowd to let their membership lapse and to reconsider their values and party. “I also want to dispel the rhetoric that I’ve been hearing that leaving the Labor Party is to abandon the struggle for workers’ rights. This is complete bullshit. The modern Labor Party does not represent the union movement and worker’s rights. I’m still a unionist, I’m still a proud union member, and workers’ rights are inalienable from human rights.”
Palestinian activist Jana Fayyad expressed her anger towards the government’s inaction, “I will not stand here in front of the Prime Minister’s office trying to convince the government and his despicable party that we are worthy of human life. Because I am too fucking angry. I am angry at our so-called government. That it took them 67 days to call for a ceasefire.”
Fayyad criticised Albanese’s power, and called out the old footage of Albanese at a pro-Palestine rally in his early career, “So tell us, Albanese, how much money did it take? For you to turn off your conscience, how much dirty politics did it take for you to decide that Palestinians aren’t worthy of life? You have shown your true colours and we will never forget this. We will never forget how you turned your back on humanity.”
Jewish anti-Zionist campaigner and UNSW Philosophy Professor Peter Slezak spoke to the Australian government’s belated call for a ceasefire at the UN General Assembly. “In particular, I wanted to draw attention to this scandalous so-called call for a ceasefire… of course, they said they wanted a resumption of the pause in fighting and efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire.
“This is too little and too late. Albanese and Wong waited until there is around 20,000 now probably dead, including half of them children.”
Palestinian activist from Jenin, Salma, spoke “as a 17 year old Palestinian girl and a citizen of this country, I will not allow Albanese to stand at his podium and promote Australia’s support of a genocidal, a tyrannical force. Not in my name will he facilitate the trade of arms to Israel. Not in my name will he call a genocide self-defence.”
As news reports come out of Gaza detailing “Palestinian men and boys were taken from hospitals, shelters, and were inhumanely stripped and abused,” Salma addressed the Labor Government, “we will scream until you wake up! Until you see the destruction that your ignorance and your selfishness and your greed have caused!”
The final speaker for the event was Gina Elias, an organiser for Students for Palestine and an active member of the Palestine Action Group. Elias emphasised the importance of keeping pressure, building a bigger movement, and encouraging attendees to keep showing up to protests.
She underlined that change does not come from “politicians like the Labor Party” instead it has “always been ordinary people like everyone here today. Whether it was the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and 70s, or whether it was South African Apartheid, or the Vietnam War, we are standing in the same tradition as those young, radical people who said enough is enough.”
Students for Palestine hold weekly rallies outside Albanese’s Marrickville office every Friday. Palestine Action Group is scheduled to hold its 11th consecutive Sunday rally at Hyde Park this week on the 17th of December.