Amidst the vibrant heartbeat of Sydney’s Hyde Park, a passionate chorus resonated on Sunday March 3, as Palestine Action Group opened their 21st consecutive protest, rallying under the banner “Hands off Rafah! Stop the genocide!” This protest coincided with the collective mourning over the Flour Massacre on February 29, as attendees carried bloodied sacks of flour in a poignant protest.
Co-chair Jana Fayyad delivered a harrowing account of the Flour Massacre, speaking to the Israeli military opening fire on hundreds of people waiting for food aid in Gaza. Fayyad highlighted the dire humanitarian crisis, with people in the north of Gaza resorting to eating animal feed due to the aid blockade, and condemned the Western media’s misleading coverage, articulating Israel’s actions as human rights violations: “We have now reached a time in humanity where the most expensive bag of flour costs 118 human souls”.
The speakers echoed the sentiment that the struggles in Palestine are interconnected with broader issues of colonialism and racism. Fayyad linked the Palestinians’ grief with the ongoing pain of Aboriginal communities: “With every Palestinian baby massacred by Israel, I think of every Aboriginal baby that was slaughtered… With every olive tree destroyed, I think of this land, once thriving, now a lifeless infrastructure fueled by Western capitalism.”
This struggle for justice and sovereignty was echoed by Meyne Wyatt, a Wongantha-Yamatji artist and activist. Wyatt drew parallels between the Australian government’s demonisation of Palestinians and Aboriginal peoples, condemning the police state’s actions and demanding justice for Aboriginal deaths in custody, including Kumanjayi Walker and David Dungay. He decried the gaslighting attempts by the Albanese government for both causes, emphasising the need for accountability: “Do not forget, do not forgive! We will not when it comes down to the voting polls!”
Fayyad then made a moving tribute to Aaron Bushnell, a US Air Force serviceman who self-immolated in protest outside of the Israeli Embassy against the US’ complicity in the Palestinian genocide. Fayyad made a parallel to the historical significance of Turkish street vendor Muhammad Bouazizi’s self-immolation in 2010, which sparked the Arab Spring.
Co-chair Dalia Al-Haj Qasem condemned Australia’s complicity in the violence through its military exports to Israel and its recent decision to halt funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). She questioned Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s horror over the Flour Massacre, stating, “Where was your horror, Minister Wong, when a UN report revealed the sexual assault of Palestinian prisoners?”. Al-Haj Qasem emphasised that Israeli military offensives were not confined to Gaza alone, exclaiming how in the past month, “Israel has launched airstrikes in eastern and south Lebanon. Shame!” She demanded tangible actions, including cutting diplomatic ties with Israel and imposing sanctions.
Sarah Shaweesh, founder of the 24/7 picket outside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Marrickville office, stated that “as long as Gaza is occupied and its people slaughtered”, the complicit Labor, Liberal, and Family First parties “shall find no peace either”. Shaweesh called for the election of the Greens, “who have come to visit us day in and out at the picket.” Speaking for Families for Palestine, Shaweesh demanded an immediate ceasefire, the cutting of all ties to Israel, the reinstatement of UNRWA funding, and the Palestinian right of return worldwide.
Edie Shepherd, a Jewish member of Tzedek Collective, stated that the global Jewish community must face the racism of Israel and reject “the notion that Israel’s atrocities are untouchable or unquestionable.” Shepherd argued that Zionism is dissociated from the history of Judaism and the inherent traumas of genocide. She invoked the Jewish concept of B’tzelem Elohim — the idea that every human is created in the image of God — as well as the Jewish value of nourishing others to conclude that Zionism “is in contempt of human life.” Shepherd vocalised Tzedek’s demands: “an end to Jewish ethnic supremacy and racism, an end to theft and destruction of land, the right of return for Palestinians, and the self-determination of Palestine”.
Lebanese barrister Mahmud Hawila accused the Labor Party, “who tried shutting down this protest,” of complicity in genocide, pointing to Australia’s funding, military intelligence, and provision of military supply to Israel. Given Israeli company Elbit Systems’ new $917 million defence contract with the Australian government, Hawila argued that the Labor Party is “responsible for every bomb dropped, every shell fired, and every life lost.” He stated that Australia needs to stop providing F-35 bomber plane parts to Israel and sending troops to bomb Yemen. He concluded the speeches by stating that “Palestine is a story, and it has a victorious ending. The story ends with a free Palestine, from the river to the sea.”
Attendees then marched around Town Hall, disrupting the CBD with the chant, “while you’re shopping, bombs are dropping.” Amidst the sea of voices calling for justice, a lone individual exclaimed “Go Israel” while giving the finger.
In a statement to Honi Soit, Jana Fayyad emphasised the Palestinian liberation movement’s determination “after 140 days of genocide, and over 21 weeks of protesting”, vowing to continue lobbying “until Australia cuts all ties with the illegal Israeli occupation [and] war criminals such as Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong – who have had a direct role in the massacring of 30,000 Palestinians – are no longer leaders of this country”.
As the protest ended at Hyde Park, Fayyad’s call to action reverberated through the crowd, inviting attendees to a vigil honouring the martyrs and starving children of Gaza on March 20, reminding that “our power is in our numbers”. She declared that the Palestine Action Group will persist in protesting through the Holy Month of Ramadan, affirming, “if we know anything about the terrorist state of Israel, during Ramadan, they increase their atrocities”, and “we must continue showing up for Palestine.”
Palestine Action Group’s next protest is on Sunday, March 10, at Hyde Park North, and will begin at 1:30 pm.
