Organisers of a Sydney Palestine solidarity protest — Commemorate Al-Nakba: Protest Against Israeli Apartheid! — released the statement below on May 11.
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The NSW Police have contacted the organisers of the Al-Nakba commemoration march in Sydney threatening to seek a Supreme Court injunction unless the march is cancelled.
The protesters have decided to assert their right to public protest, saying that they will contest any attempt to prohibit the march.
“Only a few weeks ago, 3 Israeli activists were arrested for trying to commemorate Al-Nakba. Now the NSW Police are showing their true colours by trying to silence free speech and political protest in support of the Palestinians”, said Patrick Langosch, one of the protest organisers.
Al-Nakba (“the catastrophe” in Arabic) marks the anniversary of May 15, 1948, when Israel was established over the dispossession of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and their land.
The date is traditionally marked by commemorations and protests against the apartheid policies of the Israeli government and their continued oppression of the Palestinian people.
Israel has taken measures to disrupt the commemoration of Al-Nakba including intimidation and arrest of activists and cutting of funding to NGOs involved in Al-Nakba related activities.
The march is going to be held on Tuesday May 15 at 6pm at Sydney Town Hall and includes speakers from the General Union of Palestinian Workers, Jews Against the Occupation, and young Palestinian activists.
