BY KIM BULLIMORE

SYDNEY — Calling for a free Palestine, 500 women and children — many wearing traditional dress and carrying olive branches — rallied in Hyde Park on May 4.

Organised by the Palestine Human Rights Campaign, participants then marched through the city, past the Israeli consulate to the US consulate in Martin Place.

A range of speakers, including representatives of the Aboriginal, refugee and Palestinian communities, spoke.

Sussan Nasser, a young Palestinian woman, condemned Australian Prime Minister John Howard for “cowardly joining the likes of US President George Bush” and blaming the victims for Israel's terror.

Bosnian refugee Redija Hodric drew parallels between the siege of Srebrenica by Serbian forces in the 1990s and the occupation of Palestine by Israel's troops. “When we were occupied, no one came to us. We know how it is”, she said.

The most moving speaker was eight-year-old Naji, who spoke of his experiences while in Palestine when the intifada began. “I was so excited when I first went to Palestine”, he told the crowd,”and then the intifada started and everyone became serious. I saw children like me being killed, I knew I wasn't watching a movie, it was real people dying. I felt so angry.”

Naji said that, before he left Palestine to return to Australia, he promised his friends that he would tell as many people as possible what was happening there. Speaking at the rally was part of fulfilling his promise.

To contact the Palestine Human Rights Campaign, phone Sari on (02) 8080 8125.

From Green Left Weekly, May 8, 2002.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

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