Israel’s new attacks on Iran, beginning on June 13, has not distracted it from its continued blitzkrieg on Gaza. The Israeli Occupation Forces continues to starve and kill Palestinians for simply trying to secure food and other necessities in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, people across the globe continue to protest Israel’s killing of more than 60,000 Palestinians and their own government support for Israel.
Al Jazeera reported an estimated 150,000 protesters in The Hague walked a five kilometre loop around the CBD on June 15 to create a red line they say the government has failed to draw on Israel’s genocide. They also demanded Israel stop its attacks on Iran.
Big pro-Palestine protests calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza were also organised in Belgium (with estimates of 75,000 people), Turkiye, Brazil and Greece, over June 14–15.
The Global March to Gaza, which involves people from more than 80 countries, had planned to join the Sumoud Convoy of around 1500 people from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauretania, Morocco and Tunisia, to walk through the Sinai desert to the Rafah crossing on the border with Gaza on June 12.
The convoy, which included unionists, doctors, lawyers and members of youth organisations, set off through Algeria and Libya, but were stopped in Libya by Egyptian authorities, which also detained hundreds at the airport, as well as deporting hundreds and preventing planes from landing.
Israel described the convoys as “jihadist protesters” who aimed to endanger Israeli soldiers, and warned Egypt if it did not stop the march, Israel would.
The overland protest aimed to coincide with the Madleen, a British-flagged ship chartered by the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which the Israel military illegally intercepted in international waters to prevent aid reaching Gaza, detaining its crew.
Protests in several cities around Australia demanded Prime Minister Anthony Albanese apply more pressure to Israel, after Labor announced on June 10 it was joining Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom and was imposing sanctions on two of Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet ministers — national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, for “incit[ing] extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights”.
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“These sanctions are not nearly enough,” Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni told the Naarm/Melbourne rally on June 15, reports Chloe DS.
“We are dealing with a sick world that allows a sick country to bomb Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iran and Palestine.”
Other speakers included Palestine activist Hajar, Mary Merchenich, Menzies for Palestine and Socialist Alliance activist, and Harry Millward, unionist and secretary of the Renters and Housing Union.
"A missile fired by the criminal Israeli regime, with the full backing of America and its allies, tore through the building, where they live. The blast was so strong, it threw an eight-year-old girl and her mother out of their home. Their bodies have not been found."
Zayd, a 12-year-old from the Moroccan community and member of Naarm-based children's press conference for Palestine youth collective, directed his message at politicians and the media: "You've failed the children of Gaza, Palestine and all children across the world."
Thirteen-year-old Yusouf asked: "How many bombs need to be dropped, how many men, women and children need to be slaughtered ... how many homes, tents, shelters, hospitals need to be destroyed before the world finally says enough?
"If we live in a world where we can just abandon human rights, then what kind of future do we have?"
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Activists rallied on street corners holding Palestinian flags in the CBD, on Gadigal Country on June 15, to raise awareness about Israel’s genocide in Gaza and demand Labor sanction Israel.
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Earlier that week, pro-Palestine activists began a 48-hour hunger strike at Sydney Town Hall Square from June 9–11. Vivienne Moore, who participated in the strike, told Green Left: “We need humanity to stand with us to stop the genocide in Gaza. The risk of famine in Gaza is increasing with the deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid, including food, in the ongoing blockade.”
Healthworkers for Palestine (HfP) begun a chain of hunger strikes for Palestine, starting June 14, to demand action from governments and health organisation to stop the genocide. “Everyday there will be a healthcare worker hunger striking in protest,” HfP said. “We must do everything we can for our colleagues, our brothers and sisters facing genocide in Palestine.”
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Protests were held outside the offices of Danish shipping and logistics company Maersk on June 12 and 13 as part of the global “Mask Off Maersk” campaign, which is demanding the corporation stop transporting weapons' parts to Israel, thereby becoming complicit in its genocide.
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More than 200 people joined a rally was called outside Labor MP Peter Khalil's office in Naarm/Melbourne on June 13, organised by Merri-bek for Palestine and Students for Palestine. Protesters marched from Coburg to the Brunswick Town Hall across Sydney Road.
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Leichhardt Town Hall on Gadigal/Wangal Country was packed out for a forum on June 15, organised by the Jewish Council of Australia, to discuss how Jews can advocate and protest for Palestine. David Leser was the MC of a panel disucssion with human rights lawyer Sarah Schwartz, human rights lawyer Andrewa Durbach and journalist and author Antony Lowenstein.
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Another forum to discuss Cuba’s history of solidarity with Palestine was held at the Resistance Centre on Gadigal Country/Sydney on June 14, organised by Green Left and the Australia Cuba Friendship Society (ACFS). Presentations by Adam Mayer, ACFS national co-ordinator and organiser of the Southern Cross Brigade, and ACFS member Michael Hannah, discussed the historic links between Cuba and Palestine, as well as what Cuba is doing for Palestine today.
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In solidarity with the Global March to Gaza, activists in Djilang/Geelong organised a banner drop on Melbourne Road, Corio on June 14. The banner said “Sanction Israel” and other signs said “Toot: End genocide”. It was organised by Independent and Peaceful Australia Network Geelong and Southwest Victoria.
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Well over 1000 rallied in Magan-djin/Brisbane on June 15 in the "Draw a red line against genocide" rally organised by Justice for Palestine Magan-djin, Alex Bainbridge reports. Activists were asked to wear red and giant strips of red fabric lined the march.
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The protest took a spontaneous turn into the Queen Street Mall – a small act of civil disobedience – which included a sit-down protest before returning to King George Square. Phil Monsour from Justice for Palestine told the crowd that we need to continue mobilising as the second anniverary of the beginning of Israel’s genocide approaches.
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As Israel launched military strikes on Iran, protesters said that the token sanctions of two Israeli ministers is “too little, too late”.
More photos can be found on the Green Left Facebook page.
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Ciaran Toman reports that the rally in nipaluna/Hobart on June 14 drew one of the largest crowds since the beginning of the genocide. Protesters marched along the waterfront in red shirts representing "all the red lines that Israel has crossed in the past 600+ days".