Thousands marched for Palestine across the country on March 2鈥3 in the wake of Israel鈥檚 massacre of more than 100 starving Palestinians who were trying to get flour from an aid truck southwest of Gaza City.
Israel鈥檚 siege on Gaza has stopped Palestinians from accessing food, medical supplies and other crucial aid. A United Nations found that more than 90% of the population, more than 2 million people, are facing starvation and malnutrition.
This is made worse by the cutting of funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) by Western governments, the main organisation providing aid to Gaza, after Israel claimed its staff were involved in the October 7 incursion.
Labor has to restore funding to UNRWA despite foreign minister Penny Wong she has not seen any evidence to support Israel鈥檚 allegations.聽
鈥淥ur government has suspended funding to UNRWA when instead it should be restoring it and increasing it,鈥 Greens senator Larissa Waters told the Meanjin/Brisbane rally on March 3, reported Alex Bainbridge.
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Waters said that foreign minister Penny Wong was right to condemn Israel鈥檚 attack on food vans but that she鈥檚 鈥渘ot bowled over by the strength of response because senator Wong has said she's going to get her department to have a little word to the Israeli ambassador鈥.
鈥淭hat's all she's going to do after we saw desperate parents getting slaughtered [while getting] food for their children.鈥
The rally had a 鈥淪olidarity with Palestinian women鈥 theme in recognition of International Women鈥檚 Day on March 8.聽
Protesters held a minute's silence in recognition of United States airforce serviceperson Aaron Bushnell who self-immolated on February 25 in protest of the US government's participation in genocide.聽
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Israel has begun its offensive against Rafah, the small city in southern Gaza where 1.4 million people are sheltering. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7.
A YouGov found that more than 80% of Australians support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, showing the Palestine solidarity movement has cut through the establishment media pro-Israel messaging.
Edie Shepherd, from the Tzedek Collective, an anti-Zionist Jewish group told thousands at the rally in Gadigal/Sydney on March 3 that the global Jewish community must 鈥渞ise up against the dominant Zionist frameworks that wield hate, power militarism to carry out atrocities against Palestinians鈥, reported Peter Boyle.聽
鈥淭he greatest shame is that our survival of genocide has been weaponised to commit genocide against Palestinians now.鈥
Nasser Mashni, President of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN), told the March 3 rally in Garramilla/Darwin that 鈥淚sraelis and Zionists want to kill Palestinians鈥, reported Stephen W Enciso.
鈥淧alestinians do not want to kill Israels. Indigenous folk do not want to kill their colonisers. They just want to be acknowledged. They want treaty. They want their rights. They want restitution.They want racism to stop and decolonisation to start,鈥 he said.聽
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Kulumbirigin Danggalaba Tiwi woman Mililma May drew links between the colonial violence faced by Indigenous people in Australia and Palestine.聽
She pointed to the coronial inquest into the killing of Kumanjayi Walker by former constable Zachary Rolfe, in which Rolfe gave evidence about in the Northern Territory Police Force.聽
鈥淲e are witnessing in plain evidence the racism and the deep horror that exists in the NT police, as across the colony,鈥 May said.
鈥淲e live in the same states and under the same violence as Palestine. It just manifests itself in different ways.鈥
A kite-flying for Gaza event was organised by in Karratha, Western Australia on March 3. Children made and flew kites decorated with Palestinian flags, watermelons and 鈥淔ree Palestine鈥 in solidarity with the children of聽Gaza.
Organiser Chris Jenkins told 麻豆传媒 that the action 鈥渄emonstrated once again that support for Palestine exists from the CBD to the bush鈥.
The community also raised money for UNRWA.聽
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In Muloobinba/Newcastle a 鈥淗ands off Rafah鈥 rally and kite-flying event was held on March 2 at Nobby鈥檚 Beach, reported Khaled Ghannam.
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Former Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon, who visited Palestine in June last year, said the Israeli occupation impacts everything Palestinians do. 鈥淥ne of the common things that people we interviewed said was 鈥榩lease take our voice to the world鈥,鈥 she said.聽
鈥淲e are part of a massive global movement, millions of people are on the move around the world in so many countries, with a similar message to us: Ceasefire now, restore UNRWA funding, end the occupation.鈥
She said the UN had called on Australia and other countries to stop arming Israel.
The event was organised by Mums for Palestine and Socialist Alliance.
Hundreds of school and university student across the country walked out of their classrooms for the national Student Strike for Palestine on February 29.聽
Students at the Naarm/Melbourne rally marched from the State Library to occupy the QV shopping centre, reported Jacob Andrewartha. They demanded an end to the Anthony Albanese governments support for the genocide in Gaza.
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In Gadigal, one student told 麻豆传媒 that they are 鈥渟ick and tired of being complicit in genocide鈥, reported Isaac Nellist. They said they skipped classes to 鈥渦se their voice to speak out against genocide, alongside hundreds of others鈥.聽
Palestinian student Raneem Emad told the crowd to keep protesting because 鈥渢he Israeli occupation shows no signs of stopping and 鈥渢he death toll only increases鈥.聽
鈥淢ake no mistake, this is not war 鈥 this is a massacre. It is shocking that it is up to the youth to prove that to our government.鈥澛
Alex Salmon reported that more than 200 people joined the Boorloo/Perth student strike. Speakers demanded Australia stop sending weapons and components to Israel.聽
Police blocked protesters from marching to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Free Palestine Far North Queensland organised the region's biggest Palestine solidarity action to date in Gimuy/Cairns on March 2, reported Jonathan Strauss.
More than 100 people聽who聽support a ceasefire and Palestinian rights joined the rally, forming a springboard for a public organising meeting on March 12.
Speakers made the point聽made the point that solidarity action, where we have a privileged position in terms of opportunities to do this, is vital.
Pro-Palestine activists held a counter-protest in Kaurna Yerta/Adelaide against Christian Zionist groups rallying in support of Israel鈥檚 genocide against Palestinians, reported Jordan Ellis.
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The Gadigal/Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade on March 2 featured strong solidarity with Palestine, reported Rachel Evans.聽Two contingents 鈥 Pride in Protest and Rainbow Rebellion (Extinction Rebellion) 鈥 chanted pro-Palestine chants and held Palestinian flags and placards.
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An estimated 300,000 people watched the annual parade at Oxford Street on on the ABC livestream. Chants of "Ceasefire Now!" receieved a lot of support from the crowd.聽
One PiP activist was arrested by NSW Police before the rally for alledgly carrying dangerous screws. Eight Palestinian solidarity activists were arrested after jumping the fence in front of the Labor party float, where NSW Premier Chris Minns was marching, and unfurling a "Queers for Palestine" banner.
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