Many thanks for Hans Lovejoy’s feature article, ‘Palestine supporters leaving area after abuse’ (Echo, 21 May).
Áine Tyrell and Subhi Awad are irreplaceable activists in a community experiencing and confronting local, national, and global threats. They have contributed directly to nourishing and strengthening ‘the vibrant artistic culture’ of the Northern Rivers, making it an attractive locale to set up home, and work for a better future. Both have been central in the ongoing campaign to inform our community about the unfolding genocide in Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria and mobilise actions to support those suffering from war crimes.
Yet, they, together with many others are attacked and abused for giving a voice to the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have been killed or injured and the millions who have been displaced once again, a reoccurring event throughout the past century. We cannot remain silent!
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
