‘Biggest ever’: Support for Palestine action swells
Queenslanders have turned out for the largest pro-Palestinian gathering in Brisbane’s history, with rally organisers estimating about 50,000 marched in support.
Australians’ support for Palestine is at its greatest ever level after more than 300,000 people marched across the country on Sunday, rally organisers say, amid dire predictions about the spread of famine in Gaza.
Protests across more than 40 cities and towns drew huge crowds in the largest pro-Palestine demonstrations in Australia’s history.
The nationwide day of action saw every major Palestinian organising group join forces from state capitals to far-flung inland and coastal towns.
Sydney and Melbourne attracted huge crowds of about 100,000 each.
Brisbane amassed the largest pro-Palestinian gathering in the city’s history, with rally organisers estimating about 50,000 turned up in support.
However, police estimates of numbers were far more conservative. Both Queensland Police and Victoria Police put the figures in their respective capital cities at 10,000.
The huge groundswell of public support for Palestine came as Gaza City and surrounding areas were officially declared to be suffering from famine.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said it was the first time it had recorded famine outside of Africa.
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The global group said close to a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza (514,000 people) were starving.
It predicted that famine conditions would spread by the end of September, affecting 641,000 people.
Organisers said 50,000 people marched in Brisbane though police put the figure at 10,000. Photo: AAP
Protests began taking place from 12pm in every capital city, as well as regional locations including Newcastle, Bathurst, Shepparton, Geraldton, Coffs Harbour, Katoomba, Tathra and Mackay.
Palestine Action Group’s Sydney spokesman Josh Lees put the combined turnout on Sunday at more than 300,000 .
“You don’t get these kinds of numbers out unless there’s a big majority support,” he said.
Lees said the aerial footage spoke for itself.
“There’s just huge momentum now (and) the numbers give people the confidence to keep pushing.
“The government is under massive pressure now.”
Author and advocate Grace Tame expressed similar sentiments at the Sydney march.
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“There is another force that power responds to … it is public pressure,” she told those gathered at the city’s Hyde Park on Sunday.
“If we can get 300,000 to block the bridge we can get three million.”
Organisers are aiming for another national day of action on Sunday, October 5, to mark two years since the violence began.
More than 60,000 Palestinians have died including 18,000 children since October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed 1200 people and took more than 200 hostages at an Israeli music festival, according to the United Nations.
Australians are alarmed at children starving in Gaza. Photo: AAP
Gaza City in famine
Israel has rejected criticism that its actions in Gaza amount to genocide, a claim that has also been brought against it at the International Court of Justice.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the famine declaration an “outright lie”.
“Israel does not have a policy of starvation,” he said in a statement.
“Israel has a policy of preventing starvation. Since the beginning of the war, Israel has enabled two million tonnes of aid to enter the Gaza Strip, over one tonne of aid per person.”
Israel dismissed the “false and biased” findings of the IPC, saying it had based its survey on data largely provided by Hamas, which did not take into account a recent influx of food.
For a region to be classified as in famine at least 20 per cent of people must be suffering extreme food shortages, with one in three children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or malnutrition and disease.
Israel controls all access to Gaza. COGAT, the arm of the Israeli military that oversees aid flows, said the IPC report ignored Israeli data on aid deliveries and was part of an international campaign aimed at denigrating Israel.
“The IPC report is not only biased but also serves Hamas’ propaganda campaign,” the agency said.
US President Donald Trump in July said many people there were starving, putting him at odds with Netanyahu, who has repeatedly said there was no starvation.
-with AAP
