The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) strongly condemns the Sydney Festival’s attempts to censor Branch Nebula’s performance for its statements in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
This alarming response from the festival, driven by pressure from a Zionist lobby group, represents dangerous overreach. It not only attempts to distort the words of the Palestinian liberation movement, but also seeks to intimidate and punish those who publicly advocate for Palestinian justice and equality.
The phrase “from the river to the sea” – for which the Sydney Festival created a “content warning” describing the phrase and acknowledgement of genocide as “challenging or confronting” – embodies a vision of liberation and equality for all within historic Palestine.
It calls for an end to Israeli apartheid, and for the universal values of justice, freedom and human rights to be upheld for all people, including Palestinians.
Efforts to misrepresent this message as “harmful” and “confronting” are not only disingenuous – particularly considering the brazenly genocidal words and actions of the Israeli government – but actively contribute to silencing those who advocate for an end to decades of systemic Israeli oppression of Palestinians.
This incident reflects Sydney Festival’s ongoing complicity with the Israeli state, following its controversial acceptance of Israeli Embassy funding in 2022, which prompted nearly half the participating artists to withdraw in solidarity with Palestine.
APAN applauds Branch Nebula for its principled refusal to acquiesce to attempts to censor its performance, and its commitment to continuing to broadcast a statement highlighting Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Branch Nebula’s courageous act of solidarity aligns with the role of art in challenging injustices and amplifying the voices of oppressed communities.
We stand firmly with all members of the Australian arts community who use their creativity and platforms to speak out about against Israel’s genocide and demand urgent Australian action to end this rogue state’s ongoing violations of international law.
APAN also calls on the Sydney Festival, Australian leaders and the broader public to remove the content warning, reject censorship of Palestinian voices and calls for justice, and instead foster an environment that upholds equality and freedom of expression for all.
Comments attributed to APAN President Nasser Mashni:
By bowing to pressure from a Zionist lobby group, and seeking to clamp down on artistic expressions in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle, the Sydney Festival has not just attempted to silence Palestinian voices, but has sought to perpetuate the very oppression and exclusion it claims to oppose.
This censorship is yet another example of anti-Palestinian racism in the arts sector, pointing to a disturbing systemic bias that seeks to silence Palestinian voices and shield Israel’s international law violations from scrutiny.
Branch Nebula’s refusal to capitulate to the festival’s censorship attempts is a courageous stand in defence of artistic freedom and the Palestinian people. Their commitment to truth, even in the face of pressure, is a reminder that art must challenge the status quo and stand resolutely against oppression, not bow to it.
The words ‘from the river to the sea” are a cry for liberation and justice, for the right of Palestinians to live in their homeland free from apartheid and genocide.