On Saturday, Palestine Action Group Sydney conducted its nineteenth consecutive rally at Hyde Park calling for an end to the genocide and occupation of Palestine. Saturday’s protest happened after a recent joint statement by the Prime Ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand urging for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”.
Reinstating UNRWA funding was another central demand of this rally, as the Australian Labor Government retracted critical funding for humanitarian aid flowing into Gaza after the Israeli government alleged, without evidence, that as many as 12 staff members (0.1% of UNRWA employees in Gaza) were involved in the 7 October attacks.
The statement responds to Israeli Defence Force (IDF) plans to execute a ground offensive into Rafah, the last remaining ‘safe zone’ for 1.5 million Gazans south of the strip. The ICJ’s rejection of South Africa’s request for additional provisional measures regarding the displacement of Palestinians in Rafah further contextualises the rising social discontent of constituents to their governments.
ALL EYES ON RAFAH: Over 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are situated in makeshift camps in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, as a consequence of Israel’s systematic bombing and displacement campaign. Despite over 28,000 Palestinians murdered, Netenyahu has rejected yet another ceasefire deal, and has started its bombardment campaign in Rafah, having rained several bombs on these makeshift refugee camps.
First Nations activist Elizabeth Ann Jarrett opened the protest referencing extensive media coverage of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s engagement, “My life is so good, I’m getting married while I’m sending arms over to mass murder cities, towns, almost the whole fucking country!”
Couple of days out but better late than never…
Activists criticised the absence of Palestinian coverage in Australia’s mainstream media amidst the IDF’s continual military escalations, forcing a mass displacement of civilians from the once safezone of Khan Younis to Rafah.
These criticisms call for constituents to remember the Labor party’s complacency towards the genocide and to strategise a mass political reorientation further left in next year’s federal election. Activists also referenced the indefinite sit-in at Albanese’s Marrickville office, noting the growing protests at MP offices nationwide.
Support for Palestine has extended to sentient blue dogs, as it appears. Bluey has also been a feature of the Naarm protests, with regular appearances from the big blue dog, adorned by Free Palestine stickers and a Keffiyeh.
The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement has highlighted supply chain links between Australian industry and F-35 warplanes which are used by the IDF in its aerial assaults against Palestinians in Gaza . Speaker Amal Naser reinforced the strategy of BDS in pressuring a ceasefire, “We must hit the government where it hurts. We must hit imperialism where it is profitable.”
The rally followed its usual course looping Hyde Park, through Market Street, Pitt Street then Bathurst Street. NSW Police have maintained heavy ground and air presence in the weekly protests.
“If I must die / you must live / to tell my story / to sell my things / to buy a piece of cloth and some strings, / (make it white with a long tail) so that a child, somewhere in Gaza / while looking heaven in the eye / awaiting his dad who left in a blaze— / and bid no one farewell / not even to his flesh, / not even to himself— / sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above / and thinks for a moment an angel is there / bringing back love / If I must die / let it bring hope / let it be a tale”
— Refaat Alareer was killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike on the sixth of December last year, after weeks of death threats he received online and by phone from Israeli accounts.
Palestine Action Group will host their 20th rally at Hyde Park on Sunday February 25 at 1:30 pm.
