CW: mention of sexual assault of prisoners
On Wednesday October 2, a crowd gathered outside the NSW Supreme Court to protest the 2pm hearing indoors, deliberating whether the Sunday October 6 — 1 year since Nakba — protest, and the October 7 vigil can go ahead. NSW Police stated that they believed these protests a “threat to public safety” but withdrew their application after successful negotiations to move the protests to Hyde Park.
Protesters began by chanting “what do we want, the right to protest”, “Israel is an apartheid state”, and “stop arming Israel” before speeches commenced.
Members of the protest made reference to a recent debate in the Israeli parliament on the legality of sexually assaulting Palestinian prisoners.
Another speaker affirmed that “the streets belong to us”, asserting that the protests will not stop.
NSW police outside the Supreme Court. Photography: Valerie Chidiac
Shovan Bhattarai, USyd SRC Education Officer and an organiser for Students for Palestine, began her speech by chanting, “This is not a police state, we have the right to demonstrate”.
Bhattarai stated that the “priorities of Labor…the police and the Court” have been to “manufacture outrage and fear.” She then spoke about NSW Premier Chris Minns having not spoken about those who have died in Palestine or Lebanon as a result of Israel’s escalation.
“They have turned on us, fighting for peace and justice, not on Israel who is committing these atrocities,” Bhattarai continued.
She concluded by saying “no matter what [the Court] says, we are going to be protesting” especially as “Israel is out of control… waging war across the Middle East”.
There was a significant NSW Police presence throughout the protest, with officers and various media outlets lined up the steps outside the Court. When Palestine Action Group (PAG) organisers Josh Lees and Amal Naser arrived to testify in court, media outlets rushed up the stairs to photograph them.
Palestine Action Group organisers arrive to Court. Photography: Valerie Chidiac
The hearing was briefly adjourned till 2:30pm as PAG organisers negotiated with police to move the protest to Hyde Park to avoid the issue of planter boxes near Town Hall.
Chants restarted when a Samoan and Maorī man stepped up to “call for mob” to speak, labelling the hearing as “an abomination of democracy.” They then performed the Haka in solidarity with the people of Palestine and Lebanon.
Another protester spoke, expressing their disappointment with the NSW Government and Police who they labelled as having chosen to “waste a whole lot of money” on court proceedings. They also called on the Government to “move the bloody planter boxes” so that the rally can go ahead.
Banner which read: “Albo – accessory to genocide.” Photography: Valerie Chidiac.
The hearing was adjourned at 4:58pm, with NSW Police withdrawing the contest of the form 1s from the Court. This came after a short recess for negotiations between the two parties, and a long court hearing where witnesses were questioned about the march route passing the Great Synagogue on Elizabeth Street, as well as concerns being raised that there will be numbers greater than Palestine Action Group could estimate.
The rally commemorating one year of genocide will go ahead in Hyde Park on Sunday, while a vigil will occur on Monday.
In a video statement, PAG organisers said, “The police’s case was dismissed and our rally this Sunday on 6 October is authorised. Come in large numbers to protest Israel’s disgraceful 12-month genocide in Gaza and our government’s attempts to repress this mass demonstration.”
It was confirmed that the rally was shifted from Town Hall to Hyde Park, with organisers saying: “we’ll be marching through the city just as we always wanted and intended to do.” They affirmed that today’s result was a “good outcome” and that despite some media outlets reporting otherwise, a vigil will occur on Monday evening. A standing vigil does not require lodging an f1 form.
The organisers concluded by saying that “this week was a show of a political attack” on their protests, which they labelled as potentially one of “the largest and longest sustained antiwar movement…in Australian history,” before repeating calls for people to come out in large numbers this weekend.
Article was last updated at 7pm, October 3, to include Palestine Action Group’s statement.
