Israel–Hamas war protests in Australia | |
---|---|
Part of the Israel–Hamas war protests | |
Date | 9 October 2023 (1 year, 1 week and 6 days) | – present
Location | Australia |
Caused by | Israel–Hamas war |
Methods | demonstrations, counter-protests, sit-ins, occupations, picketing, civil disobedience, direct action, online activism |
In Melbourne, there has been a pro-Palestinian march every Sunday beginning in front of the State Library Victoria since 7 October, starting on 10 October. This march usually ends at Parliament House, but on 5 May the march proceeded to Victorian Trades Hall, and lead their annual May Day march through the city and back to the Trades Hall. [1] [2] [3]
Rallies have protested the firing of Antoinette Lattouf, the Refugee Action Collective drawing attention to the mandatory detention of refugees and workers rights groups giving speeches in solidarity.
Regular demonstrations have also taken place in Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth, as well as in regional centres.
On the night of 9 October, around 1,000 protesters attended a pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney, calling on the Australian government to end support to Israel. The protestors marched through the city's central business district to the Sydney Opera House, which had been lit up with the colors of the Israeli flag to create a space "for Jews to mourn victims of the attacks in Israel". [4] A small group lit flares and burned Israeli flags. [5]
The Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, claimed that the Sydney Opera House had been "overrun with people that were spewing racial epithets and hatred". The government later apologised for the protests, with police confirming that they are investigating the participants and seeking to press charges. [6] Jewish people were advised to avoid the area, and a man near the protest with an Israeli flag was detained to prevent a breach of the peace. Several witnesses claimed that they also chanted "Gas the Jews", although according to a police expert audio analysis of video from the event that was initially believed to have shown that call instead showed chants of "Where's the Jews". [7]
Another similar rally took place in the south-western suburb of Lakemba. Reports of violence and antisemitism emerged from the protests, which were criticized by politicians including Minns and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. [8] [9] [10]
On 11 October, thousands gathered for a vigil held in Sydney showing support for Israel which was attended by a number of government officials. [11] On 20 October, pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked the entryway to the US spy base in Pine Gap, Northern Territory, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. [12] On 31 October, a group of Jewish activists occupied Defence Minister Richard Marles’ office in Geelong, demanding an end to military support for Israel. [13] [14]
On 8 November, activists laid themselves down on the Port of Melbourne to block cargo headed for Israel. [15]
On 10 November, a fast food restaurant in Caulfield was burned down in a suspicious fire, after the owner Hash Tayeh was photographed leading a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne. Following the burning of the restaurant, about 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators affiliated with the Free Palestine Melbourne group staged a protest march in Caulfield, which led to the evacuation of a nearby synagogue. The pro-Palestine march triggered a counter-demonstration by about 200 pro-Israel supporters from the local Jewish community. Police kept the two groups apart but made no arrests. [16]
On 12 November, thousands attended pro-Palestinian rallies calling for an immediate ceasefire in several Australian state capitals including Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. In addition, pro-Israel rallies were held in Sydney and Melbourne calling for the release of Hamas-held hostages and to oppose anti-semitism. [17] On 16 November, a petition with the signatures of 40,000 medical professionals demanding a ceasefire was presented to parliament. [18] On 21 November, 23 anti-war activists were arrested at Sydney's Port Botany for blocking its major roads. [19]
On 23 November, hundreds of school-age children in Melbourne and Adelaide walked out of classes in a school strike to "free, free Palestine". [20] On 26 November, Senator Lidia Thorpe spoke at a rally in support of Palestine, stating Aboriginal Australians were sympathetic to the struggles of Palestinians. [21] Teachers in Victoria were warned against participating in any pro-Palestine related protests. [22] Protesters held a die-in outside the offices of The Age . [23]
A group of several dozen pro-Palestinian protesters in Melbourne blocked the hotel entrance to a delegation of families of kidnapping and murder victims from the 7 October massacre after learning of its location. In response, the delegation sought assistance at the local police station. [24]
On 21 December, protesters on kayaks blocked an Israel-linked cargo ship from entering the Port of Melbourne. [25]
In late December 2023, cabin crew on a Qantas flight between Melbourne and Hobart donned Palestinian flag badges; which went against the airline's policy of wearing unapproved badges on their uniforms. Dvir Abramovich, the chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, criticised the cabin crew's conduct as intimidating, harassment and a violation of "every rule of air travel". An online petition calling for the dismissal of the cabin crew attracted 2,000 signatures. In response to media coverage, Qantas reiterated its policy against employees wearing unapproved badges on their uniforms. [26]
Protesters blocked an Israeli cargo ship from entering the Port of Melbourne on 22 January 2024. [27] [28]
On 2 February, protesters in Melbourne blocked the entrance to the factory that produces parts for Israel's F-35 military jets. [29]
On 25 April students of the University of Sydney put up tents and shouted pro-Palestine slogans. [30] After that, multiple other Australian universities set up encampments. [31] On 8 May, Greens senator Dorinda Cox alleged she was "manhandled" by police while protesting as part of Students for Palestine WA at the Crown Perth casino and resort, where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was speaking at a business breakfast, saying that the police told her group to move and allegedly shoved her into the crowd while she was speaking. [32]
On 18 May, Trade Unionists for Palestine organised a protest at Melbourne's Moonee Valley Racecourse, which was hosting the Victorian Labor Party's State Conference. The protest action delayed planned speeches by Albanese and Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan. [33]
On 19 May, Palestinian solidarity protesters and the Christian Zionist group International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) held competing rallies outside the Victorian state parliament in Melbourne. Police estimated that 7,000 people attended the Nakba Sunday Rally and ICEJ's Never Again is Now Rally. Police separated the two groups and arrested six protesters. [34] [35]
On 11 September, Melbourne saw protests outside the Land Forces Expo, a military technology event. Victoria Police claimed it was the largest deployment of police against a protest since 2000. [36]
The 2024 Land Forces protests, also known as Disrupt Land Forces, were a series of anti-war protests which took place from 8–13 September in Melbourne, Australia. Thousands of protesters occupied streets around the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, where the 2024 Land Forces exhibition was taking place with the support of the Australian federal government and the Victorian state government. [37] [38] [39]
Disrupt Land Forces highlighted the links between Australian governments and the Israeli weapons industry, as part of ongoing opposition to Israel's attacks on Gaza. [39] The Land Forces exhibition included weapons which have been deployed by Israel in Gaza. [40] [41] Protest organisers denounced the event as "a cabal of war practitioners and war profiteers". [42]
The state government of Victoria deployed a large police contingent to defend Land Forces from protesters. According to Victoria Police, it was the largest single deployment of officers in the state since the S11 protests in 2000. 82 people were arrested in connection with the protests [43] and over 150 were injured by police during the picket on 11 September. [40]
Starting from 8 September, there were daily actions before and during the Land Forces conference. These were organised by various groups, as part of the Disrupt Land Forces coalition.
On the afternoon of 7 September, a woman locked herself on to a car blocking the Montague St exit off the West Gate Freeway, blocking and delaying access to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. [44] Protesters were chanting the “usual slogans”, including "From the River to the Sea" but were namely protesting against the upcoming Land Forces Expo. The woman was cut free by police and arrested. A second woman, who was reportedly the designated police liaison person for the protest group, was also arrested for ‘aiding and abetting’ the woman protesting. [45]
Between 4,000 and 5,000 protesters gathered from 6am for the first major demonstration, led by activist groups Students for Palestine and Disrupt Wars. [46] [47] [48] Protestors blockaded entrances to the venue and disrupted attendees attempting to enter the weapons exhibition. [49] Students for Palestine described the event as "a beautiful, defiant day of protest and disruption". [48]
Over 1,600 police were deployed to protect the weapons exhibition. Victoria Police have been accused of a police riot by legal observers, with excessive force and weaponry including rubber bullets and flash grenades being used against unarmed protesters. [39] [50] At least 100 people were injured by police violence, including at least one journalist and a photographer who required surgery after being hit in the ear by a rubber bullet. In anticipation of the event, police were granted extended powers under the Terrorism Act. [51] Police alleged afterward that they had rocks, eggs, rotten tomatoes and horse manure thrown at them. [51]
By the afternoon, after the protesters had largely dispersed, police had barricaded the Spencer Street Bridge to all road traffic.
Victorian Greens MP Gabrielle De Vietri confirmed her attendance at the protest that morning. In response, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan suggested that De Vietri should resign from her position. [52]
On the morning of the second day of the Land Forces expo, a group of protesters gathered and marched around the streets surrounding the exhibition centre, holding up peak hour morning traffic with police extending an exclusion zone outside the expo. [53]
In the late afternoon, a large group of protesters gathered outside the Hanwha headquarters in the Melbourne CBD. [54]
Australian Greens Senator David Shoebridge greeted a small number of protesters at the Spencer St Beidge, which was still barricaded by police while also speaking to media. During when he criticised Victoria Police’s excessive use of force. [55]
Socialist Alternative is a political organisation in Australia. Its members have organised numerous campaigns and protests around LGBT rights, climate change, racism, refugee rights and more. The organisation also intervenes in the trade union and student union movements. It has branches and student clubs in most major Australian cities and publishes the fortnightly newspaper Red Flag.
Jewish Voice for Peace is an American anti-Zionist left-wing to far-left Jewish advocacy organization that is critical of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, and supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.
The Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) is a United States pro-Israel umbrella organization founded in 2002 with funding from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies and Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. ICC's chief executive officer since 2013, Jacob Baime, is a former national field director for AIPAC.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) is an activist organisation in England and Wales. It was founded in the UK in 1982 and incorporated in 2004 as Palestine Solidarity Campaign Ltd. In 2023, The Guardian described it as "Europe’s largest Palestinian rights organisation".
Anthony Gerard Damien D'Adam is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since 2019, representing the Australian Labor Party.
There have been a series of international protests over a May 2021 flare-up of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. A ceasefire of the hostilities was agreed upon on 20 May.
Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have occurred around the world. There have been several protests against lockdowns and other restrictions introduced by the Commonwealth and state governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia since 2020. Some joining protests have also been against vaccinations, while others have also subscribed to various conspiracy theories or misinformation about COVID-19. Protests have been held in several state capitals, with most occurring in including Sydney and Melbourne. While some protests were peaceful, others ended in clashes between protesters and police. Australian police have issued fines against protesters for breaching lockdown restrictions.
Anti-Palestinianism or anti-Palestinian racism refers to prejudice, collective hatred, and discrimination directed at the Palestinian people for any variety of reasons. Since the mid-20th century, the phenomenon has largely overlapped with anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia due to the fact that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians today are Arabs and Muslims. Historically, however, anti-Palestinianism was more closely identified with European antisemitism, as far-right Europeans detested the Jewish people as undesirable foreigners from Palestine. Modern anti-Palestinianism—that is, xenophobia with regard to the Arab people of Palestine—is most common in Israel, the United States, and Lebanon, among other countries.
The Israel–Hamas war has sparked protests, demonstrations, and vigils around the world. These events focused on a variety of issues related to the conflict, including demands for a ceasefire, an end to the Israeli blockade and occupation, return of Israeli hostages, protesting war crimes, and providing humanitarian aid to Gaza. Protests against Israeli action in Gaza were notably large across the Arab world. Since the war began on 7 October 2023, the death toll has exceeded 40,000.
Since 7 October 2023, numerous violent incidents prompted by the Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing Israel–Hamas war have been reported worldwide. They have accompanied a sharp increase in global antisemitism and Islamophobia, as well as anti-Israeli sentiment and anti-Palestinian sentiment or broader anti-Arab sentiment. Other people and groups have also been targeted, such as the Sikhs, who are commonly mistaken to be Muslims by their attackers.
Following the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war, there has been a surge of anti-Palestinianism, anti-Arab racism, and Islamophobia around the world. Palestinians have expressed concerns over increased anti-Palestinianism in mass media and anti-Palestinian hate crimes. Human rights groups have noted an increase in anti-Palestinian hate speech and incitement to violence against Palestinians.
Protests, including rallies, demonstrations, campaigns, and vigils, relating to the Israel–Hamas war have occurred nationwide across the United States since the conflict's start on October 7, 2023, occurring as part of a broader phenomenon of the Israel–Hamas war protests around the world.
As a result of the Israel–Hamas war, nationwide protests occurred across the UK. These demonstrations occurred as part of a broader movement of war-related protests occurring around the world.
Within Our Lifetime - United For Palestine (WOL), is a pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist activist organization primarily active in New York City. The group, which expresses support for Hamas and Palestinian political violence against Israel, has been one of the key organizers in the city's ongoing Israel-Hamas war protests.
As a result of the Israel–Hamas war, nationwide protests have occurred across Israel, including rallies, demonstrations, campaigns, and vigils. These demonstrations occurred as part of broader war-related protests occurring worldwide. Israelis domestically and abroad have primarily called for the return of hostages held by Hamas.
Following the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war on 7 October 2023, the United Kingdom has provided Israel with extensive military and diplomatic support. In response to the 7 October attacks, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asserted that the United Kingdom "unequivocally" stands with Israel. The UK also issued an "unequivocal condemnation" of Palestinian militant group Hamas and deployed British Armed Forces personnel and assets to the Eastern Mediterranean to support Israel.
In May 2024, peaceful pro-Palestinian student protesters at the University of Virginia (UVa) demonstrated on the campus. The protesters organized an anti-war occupation on university grounds in support of Palestinian nationalism in the context of the mass death and displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians during the Israel–Hamas war.
The Black Peoples Union (BPU) is a revolutionary, Indigenous Australian political organisation founded in 2023. Black Peoples Union president Kieran Stewart-Assheton has said the organisation is "working towards building a pan-Aboriginal movement in Australia, so that we can fight for our self determination and our sovereignty".
Hasheam Tayeh, commonly referred to as Hash Tayeh, is a Palestinian-Australian businessman and activist from Melbourne, Victoria. Tayeh is the founder and chief executive officer of burger restaurant chain Burgertory.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)