Supporters of democracy and international law joined Hands off Venezuela! protests across Australia over January 4–5 to demand the United States government immediately stop its attacks on Venezuela and that the Australian government condemns the US' blatant violation of rules-based order.
Peter Boyle reports from Gadigal Country/Sydney that about 500 people defied a 14-day “ban on protests” to denounce the United States Trump Administration’s illegal military assault on Venezuela and the kidnapping of its president and his partner.
NSW Labor imposed an undemocratic anti-protest law on December 24, after the Bondi shootings.
The large police presence at Sydney Town Hall on Gadigal Country included mounted police and a helicopter that hovered directly above the rally — almost drowning out the speeches.
At one stage a protester was arrested because she was wearing a T-shirt that bore the slogan “Globalise the intifada”. Police claimed that this was illegal, but later on released her without charge.
One of the rally organisers, Rachel Evans, immediately informed the crowd which started chanting: “Long live the intifada!”
A tiny pro-Trump counter protest took place nearby, and several attempts by some of its participants to disrupt the Venezuela solidarity action failed.
Elias Boyle reports that 200 people rallied at short notice in Magan-djin/Brisbane on January 4 to demand the US cease its attacks respect international law.
Sarah Hathway reports that 40 people turned up to a snap protest outside defence minister Richard Marles' office in Djilang/Geelong on January 5.
More than 1000 people rallied outside Flinders Street Station in Naarm/Melbourne on January 4 to protest the US’ bombing of Caracas and abductions of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores.
Jordan Shukri AK Armaou-Massou reports that the “Hands off Venezuela!” rally demanded the Albanese government immediately condemn the US and demand it release Maduro and Flores.
Speakers included: Gunung-Willam-Balluk man Jasper Cohen-Hunter (secretary of Black Peoples Union); Shirley Winton (IPAN); Jacob Andrewartha (Socialist Alliance National Co-Convenor); Nandini S (Red Ant); Max Lane (Red Spark); Tasnim Mahmoud Sammak (Palestinian activist and organiser); and fire keepers from camp sovereignty Gunditjamara and Wotjobaluk man Uncle Claude Douglas and Gunditjmara, Yuin, and Bidjara woman Yaraan Couzens Bundle.
Cohen-Hunter said the US’ actions are an “assault on sovereignty, self-determination and international law”.
Winton said the attack “exposed the naked face of US imperialism” and compared the pretext of Maduro being involved in narco-terrorism to the sham claim of weapons of mass destruction used to justify the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The US is the “biggest threat to the peoples of the world”, Winton said. She said Albanese must “condemn the US invasion and attempt to take control of Venezuela”.
Andrewartha urged democratic forces to “pressure Labor to break its alliance with US imperialism, including cancelling the AUKUS agreement and closing US military bases”. He called for Australia to push for an end to US military operations in the Caribbean “and all US interference and interventions in Latin American domestic politics”.
Following the speeches, the crowd marched through the Melbourne CBD to Parliament House.
Similar snap protests were held in five other cities around Australia.
