- by Danlo Moey
- The Guardian
- Issue #2079
Photo: Anna Pha
On Sunday 12 November 2023, tens of thousands of protesters descended on Hyde Park in Sydney to demand a ceasefire and a stop to the genocide in Palestine. This rally was another demonstration of the growing support for Palestine both within Australia, and across the globe.
The large crowd gathered in Hyde Park to hear talks from a variety of speakers, with chants expressing support for Palestine being loudly proclaimed throughout. The first speaker was a local Indigenous elder who was preceded with the chant: “From Gadigal to Gaza, long live the intifada!” highlighting the shared struggle between the Indigenous peoples of Australia and Palestine.
A Christian woman from Palestine spoke of the atrocities and crimes against humanity that her family was currently enduring in Gaza. According to the Health Ministry in Gaza: more than 11,000 people have been killed at the time of writing. Essential supplies such as: medicine, water, and food have been cut off from Gaza. Hospitals and refugee camps have become targets for Israeli airstrikes, leaving them inoperable.
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi delivered a speech condemning the Labor Party for their support of Israel, and calling for “people power” to end the genocide in Palestine. This coincides with Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s call for “steps towards a ceasefire,” which denotes a large shift in the rhetoric of the Labor Party. This is an indicator that the mass actions are putting pressure on the Australian government. The speeches were followed by a march through the Sydney CBD where chants of “Free Palestine!” were loudly on display.
The rally was attended by Communist Party of Australia members from across New South Wales who have shown dedicated support for the Palestinian struggle and have also helped with organising actions in other areas of the country. The global movement for Palestine signifies the weakness in the crumbling hegemony of the imperialist powers. These mass actions must continue until genocide in Palestine is ended.
