Max Menyhart & Kiraz Janicke, Sydney

More than 150 students joined a speak-out at Sydney University on August 3. The protest was called by Students Against War, and supported by the Muslim Students Association (MSA) and the Arab Students Association (ASA).

The protesters demanded an end to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and occupation of Palestine, and called for no Australian government support for Israel’s wars. Speakers included Ibraham Al-Salti from the MSA, Fadi Rahman from the Independent Centre for Research’s Lidcombe Youth Centre and Rawan Abdul-Nabi from the ASA. The student union’s global solidarity officer and Resistance activist Simon Cunich chaired the rally.

Abdul-Nabi responded to someone present wearing the Israeli flag: “How dare you turn up here wearing that flag, the flag that is on Israeli bombs and tanks that are massacring innocent civilians. This is a rally about human rights.”

After the speakers, other students spoke on an open microphone, making points about Israel’s facilitation of US domination in the Middle East and the need to distinguish between the state of Israel and the Jewish community — “not every Jew is a Zionist and not every Zionist is a Jew”.

Speakers explained that Hezbollah is a legitimate national liberation organisation and has a right to resist the Israeli invasion, and called for it to be removed from the Australian government’s list of proscribed “terrorist” organisations. Abdul-Nabi urged students to continue to organise protest actions against Israel’s aggression.

Tools

• Bookmark This Page
• Print This Page