By Isaac Nellist
Chants of “Free Free Palestine” and “From the River to the Sea” were heard around Sydney Town Hall on August 13, where more than 100 protesters stood in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The rally was organised by the Palestine Action Group.
The rally condemned Israel’s latest attack on Gaza and its killing of at least 46 people, including 16 children. It also highlighted the continuing oppression of Palestinians, who have endured more than 70 years of brutal occupation by the apartheid Israeli regime.
Western imperialist countries, like the United States and Australia, support Israel despite its atrocities.
Rand Khatib from the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network described the situation as a “battle between neck and sword”.
Jasmine from Students for Palestine said Gaza has become an “open air prison”. Israeli forces have blocked medical supplies, food and fuel from entering Palestine she said.
Fahad Ali, who co-organised the boycott of the Sydney Festival after it accepted sponsorship from the Israeli Embassy, read out the names of the 16 children killed by Israel’s latest attack, asking: “What greater crime can there be than the murder of innocents?”
However, Ali said there is hope because the “pro-Israel consensus is beginning to collapse”, despite millions spent on PR and whitewashing.
New South Wales police attempted to block the rally from marching, but protesters managed a short march on the footpath around Town Hall.