Emergency Rally - Rafah Massacres

Hundreds turned up to Sydney Town Hall, Gadigal Land, last night to protest against the recent massacres taking place by Israeli forces across Rafah in Gaza, Palestine.

Passionate speeches were made by Palestine Action Group organisers Jana Fayyad and Amal Naser, Wongutha-Yamatji man and actor Meyne Wyatt, Sarah Sharweesh and others.

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Sorry Day Rally

Around one hundred people turned up to NSW Parliament today to mark National Sorry Day and call for the end of child removals from Aboriginal families, which continues today, 27 years after the handing down of the ‘Bringing Them Home’ report into the Stolen Generations.

Welcome to Country was performed by Aunty Rhonda Dixon-Grovenor with speakers including representatives from Grandmothers Against Removals, Greens Senator, Mehreen Faruqi, Uncle Widdy from the Kinchela Boys Home, Dr Paul Gray from UTS’ Jumbunna Research and Lizzy Jarrett.

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Free Palestine Rally - Week 33

Photographs from Sunday’s Free Palestine rally - the 33rd consecutive weekly rally of it’s kind on Gadigal Land.

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Free Palestine Rally - Week 32

Photographs from yesterday’s 32nd consecutive weekly Free Palestine rally on Gadigal Land, Sydney, Australia.

Speakers included Palestine Action Group’s Jana Fayyad and Said Fayyad, high school student Christine, ex-UN Worker Rola Khalifeh, and academic and activist, Paddy Gibson.

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Al Nakba Rally

Photographs from Wednesday night’s Al Nakba rally on Gadigal Land, Sydney Town Hall, Sydney, Australia, where over 1,000 people commemorated 76 years since the establishment of the state of Israel and the resulting mass forced displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their homeland in 1948. Palestinians refer to the event as ‘Al Nakba’, or ‘The Catastrophe’.

Speakers at Wednesday’s rally included organisers from the Palestinian Action Group, Jana Fayyad and Josh Lees, Wongutha-Yamatji First Nations actor and activist, Meyne Wyatt, writer, producer and Arab Theatre Studio Chair, Paula Abood, USYD encampment organiser, Shovan Bhattarai and Palestinian lawyer, Amal Naser.

The 76th anniversary of the Nakba comes as Israeli forces continue their assault on Rafah and throughout Gaza and the West Bank. In the last 10 days, 600,000 Palestinians have been displaced from Rafah, echoing the events of 1948.

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Free Palestine Rally - Week 31

Photographs from Sunday’s 31st consecutive weekly Free Palestine rally on Gadigal Land, Sydney, Australia.

This week, the march route started at Belmore Park and wound it’s way through to the University of Sydney’s encampment via Broadway.

The rally, held on Mother’s Day, was dedicated to the mothers of Palestine, as Israeli forces descend into Rafah in Gaza.

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Student Strike 4 Palestine Rally

High school and university students went on strike yesterday to support the Palestinian cause, rallying at the University of Sydney and marching to the University of Technology Sydney to demand divestment in companies with ties to Israel and the war in Gaza.

Speeches were made by Jasmine Alrawi, Noura Hussain, Greens MP Mehreen Faruqi and anti-Zionist Jewish student, Rex Urquart.

On the march back to the USYD encampment, the rally broke off to occupy Broadway Shopping Centre for a brief time, bringing shoppers to a halt and disorientating police and security. After about 20 minutes, the contingent returned to the USYD encampment to finish off the rally.

The protest came as Israeli forces storm Rafah, in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are either seeking refuge, or fleeing from because of the assault.

The common refrain from students at yesterday’s rally on Gadigal Land was “Hands off Rafah!”.

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An Evening at the Pro-Palestinian Encampment at USYD

Photographs from last night at the encampment at the University of Sydney, which is protesting against the war on Palestine and the university’s connections with Israel’s military-industrial complex.

Students and supporters have been steadfastly holding camp and organising teach-ins, fundraisers, film nights and rallies, despite the unrelenting wet weather over the last few weeks.

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Free Palestine Rally - Week 30

Under constant rain, photographs of the 30th consecutive weekly Free Palestine rally on Gadigal Land.

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USYD Pro-Palestine Encampment Demonstration

Photographs from yesterday’s pro-Palestinian demonstration at the continuing encampment at the University of Sydney, on Gadigal Land, where over 1,000 people attended. The large rally was sparked by a much smaller pro-Israel Zionist counter-rally, which reportedly attracted around 100 people, and fears the encampment would be attacked.

Several Jewish people were amongst the speakers at the pro-Palestinian rally, which also featured a contingent of anti-Zionist Jews.

As speeches were winding up, a handful of pro-Israeli demonstrators provocatively approached the encampment, waving signs and shouting slogans. A human chain was formed by encampment supporters to protect the site and discourage the pro-Israelis from approaching further.

The encampment was set up a week and a half ago to demand that the University disclose and divest its investments in Israel and the war on Gaza.

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Free Palestine Rally - Week 29

Photographs from the 29th consecutive weekly Free Palestine rally, on Gadigal Land, Sydney, Australia.

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No More: National Rally Against Gender Based Violence

Photographs of yesterday’s ‘No More’ national rally against gender violence in Sydney, Gadigal Land.

Thousands of people attended, marching from Belmore Park to Hyde Park. As of yesterday, 32 women have been killed by male violence in Australia this year. That accounts for one woman killed every four days.

Speakers included organiser, Sarah Williams, Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, Palestinian Action Group organiser, Jana Fayyad, poet, Azure Antoinette, victim advocate, Lilli Greer, CEO of Cheek Media, Hannah Ferguson, and activist, Harrison James.

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Land Rights, Climate Justice and Palestine: In Conversation With Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh

Photograph’s from yesterday’s panel discussion and conversation with Palestinian writer, academic, biologist and activist, Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh, from the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability at the Bethlehem University. Professor Qumsiyeh, who is in Australia on a national tour, is also the founder and director of the Palestine Museum of Natural History.

Also speaking was Rawan Arraf, Principal Lawyer and Director of the Australian Centre for International Justice.

The event took place at the National Teacher’s Federation Conference Centre and was hosted by Ahmed Abadla and Jana Fayyad, with an Acknowledgment of Country performed by City of Sydney councillor, Emelda Davis.

The event was organised by Move Beyond Coal, ASU Members for Palestine, Palestine Action Group Sydney, Climate Activists for Palestine, Union Aid Abroad APHEDA, Palestine Justice Movement Sydney, Muslim Collective, Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine, City of Sydney for Palestine, Sydney Climate Coalition and Water for Rivers.

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USYD Gaza Solidarity Encampment - Day 4

Photographs of Day 4 of the University of Sydney ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’, where students, staff and Palestinian supporters gathered again to hear speeches, including one by Anti-Zionist Jewish author and journalist, Anthony Lowenstein, and to rally across the university’s grounds. Protesters occupied City Road for a short time, halting traffic in both directions.

Like similar actions at campuses across the U.S., Canada and France, student and staff protesters are demanding universities disclose their links to the arms industries and divest from Israel’s war on Gaza.

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Sydney Uni Gaza Solidarity Encampment - Day 3

Photographs of Day 3 of the Sydney University ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’, which focussed on alternatives to the dominant ANZAC Day narrative.

Dr Diane Fieldes led a ‘teach-in’ on the topic of ANZAC Day, colonialism and the British and Australian involvement in the establishment of Israel and the Middle East.

The day ended with a vigil for Gaza.

The encampment follows similar actions on university campuses that have spread across the USA, and now in France and Canada. Scores of students have been forcibly arrested at universities in the US.

The protesting students and staff are demanding that universities disclose their involvement in the arms industry and divest from Israel. They are also demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where over 30,000 Gazans have been killed.

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Sydney University Gaza Solidarity Encampment

Photographs from the ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ at Sydney University, where students and Palestinian supporters yesterday started a camp-in to demand a ceasefire in Gaza, and for the university to divest in any support of Israel.

The encampment follows similar mass actions at university campuses across the United States.

The Sydney University protest is being organised by Students for Palestine.

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Free Palestine Rally - Week 28

Photographs from the 28th consecutive weekly Free Palestine rallies on Gadigal Land, Sydney, Australia.

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Free Palestine Rally - Week 27

Photographs from the 27th consecutive weekly Free Palestine rally on Gadigal Land, Sydney, Australia.

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Pro-Palestinians Protest Quickstep Arms Component Manufacturer

Yesterday, more than 100 people rallied opposite the Quickstep premises in Bankstown, Dharug country, to protest against the company’s manufacturing of F-35 jet components. F-35 jets are currently being used by Israel to bomb Gaza.

Some say that this exposes Australia to being prosecuted for complicity to war crimes, particularly since the International Court of Justice is currently investigating Israel for committing genocide in Gaza.

The Federal ALP Government and Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, have repeatedly denied that Australia has been selling arms to Israel.

A large contingent of police were yesterday unable to prevent protesters from staging part of their protest directly outside Quickstep’s address, despite demanding the rally be held on the opposite side of the highway.

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The Night of Destiny: Laylat Al Qadr Prayers at Martin Place

Hundreds of Muslims turned up to Martin Place, Gadigal Land, last night, to mark Laylat Al Qadr - ‘The Night of Destiny’ - one of Islam’s holiest nights falling in the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Prayers were held in between discussion of Palestine and Gaza.

Laylat Al Qadr is believed by Muslims to be the night when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammed.

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