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Blue Mountains Friends of Palestine (BMFoP) organised a protest, which drew 120 people on December 17, the fifth the group has organised.

The group also organised a well-supported rally outside MP Susan Templeman’s office in Windsor on December 11, despite her not being there.

BMFoP coordinator Jess Steele, who chaired the spirited event, said people want the council to pass a ceasefire motion at its next meeting and to fly the Palestinian flag. “This is now being done across parts of Australia and we don’t see why the Blue Mountains is any different. Flying the flag is something easy we can do to show solidarity.”

Antony Loewenstein, Walkley award-winning journalist and author of the best-selling book The Palestine Laboratory, told the protest that apart from the devastation, horror and “utter Israeli brutality, callousness and racism”, the global solidarity “has been so heartening”.

“The size of protests happening in many places around the world are the biggest since 2002-2003 against the Iraq War.”

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Antony Lowenstein addresses the protest. Photo: Blue Mountains Friends of Palestine

Khaled Ghannam, a Palestinian Australian activist and co-founder of the Palestinian Action Group was greeted with loud applause when he said: “All indigenous people around the world should have the right to live on their land, including Palestinians. 

“The divisions in Palestine have ended as the bombs are dropping. The strings between the Muslim and Christian communities are very strong due to Christmas and because Israel bombed three churches in Gaza and a hospital linked to the church.

“This unity is something we need here against this war which the Australian government should not support,” Ghannam said.

Humanitarian worker Ali Martin, who spent years in Gaza, spoke about its beauty and the suffering they had witnessed. “People in Gaza see our solidarity and it’s important we keep showing up.”

Caradene Hannan, from BMFoP, paid tribute to much-loved poet Dr Refaat Alareer, who was murdered in an Israeli air strike.

Activist Stephen Langford played ukulele and sang a song.

Blue Mountains Labor Councillor Suzie van Opdorp pledged to “discuss a ceasefire motion with my colleagues”.

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Photo: Blue Mountains Friends of Palestine

Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill had been invited and agreed to speak, but did not attend. He had signed an open letter, organised by the Blue Mountains Peace Collective and published in the Blue Mountains Gazette a fortnight ago, objecting to Labor’s abstention from the resolution calling for an “immediate, durable and sustainable truce” in the United Nations.

The crowd marched up Katoomba Street and rallied in front of the Carrington Hotel. A Mothers Pray for Peace event and drumming circle were organised afterwards.

[Get in touch with Blue Mountains Friends of Palestine on ���ǰ���.]