Vol. 73/No. 4      February 2, 2009

“A grave injustice is taking place,” Jamal Uddanin, originally from Bangladesh, told the Militant. “How can innocent women and children face machine guns and bombs?”

Sajidah Ismael, a Lebanese-Australian student, said that she had come to the protest because “it’s important for our voices to be heard. It seems the world is not doing much.”

Around 12,000 took part in a similar rally in Melbourne. The protests, which took place the day an Israeli cease-fire was announced, condemned the Australian government’s support for Israel’s offensive.

Australian foreign minister Steven Smith has called on Hamas, which heads the Palestinian government in Gaza, to respect the Israeli cease-fire, declaring that “smuggling” of arms into Gaza “for use by Hamas” must end.

Speakers at the Sydney rally included journalist and filmmaker John Pilger; Sheik Hilaly, imam of the Lakemba mosque; Paul McAleer, assistant secretary of the Sydney branch of the Maritime Union of Australia; Sylvia Hale, Greens member of the New South Wales state parliament; Antony Loewenstein, author of My Israel Question; and Ikebal Patel, president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils.
 

“I was sitting in a coffee shop and saw the demonstration going by,” said Hadj, an immigrant from Algeria who joined the march. “I was very glad to see this. I had to join in.”

Hamdi Adan, from Somalia, said, “I am here because I will fight for all oppressed people.”

At one point the march passed an apartment building where two people on the balcony were flying a Cuban flag alongside a portrait of Che Guevara. Many of the protesters waved and chanted, “Viva, viva, Palestina!” (Spanish for Long Live Palestine!)

A majority of the protesters were youth, ranging from high school to college age. At least half of the marchers were from Palestine or other parts of the Middle East, but many young people from Somalia and U.S.-born students from local universities also participated.

Tom Fiske, Socialist Workers Party candidate for mayor of Minneapolis, was at the protest campaigning for an end to all imperialist wars; self-determination for the Palestinian people; a democratic, secular Palestine; and the necessity of the U.S. working class taking political power.
 
 
Related articles:
End Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip!
Over 1,300 dead as Israeli troops withdraw
Socialist candidates say ‘End U.S. aid to Israel!’
Lift the Israeli blockade on Gaza!
Tel Aviv asked for U.S. help to bomb nuclear site in Iran  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home