A local group of Palestinian human rights activists again scaled the rooftop of the Tweed Heads office of local federal Richmond MP Justine Elliot to protest the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
They say the federal Labor government is not doing enough to stop the ongoing bloodshed, and instead is complicit in the starvation and killing of innocent civilians – many who are women and children.
They said in a statement, ‘Within the last few days, the United Nations (UN) confirmed what Palestinians and human rights groups have long warned: Israel’s assault on Gaza is an unfolding genocide’.
‘In response, everyday Australians – mothers, grandmothers, carers, and community leaders – have joined a national wave of occupations at Australian Labor Party (ALP) offices across the continent. The Prime Minister’s own office has already been forced to close as the campaign grows.
‘For more than 20 months, the group has been requesting a meeting with the local Member for Richmond. Over that time, at least 800 emails have been sent by constituents demanding action on Palestine. All have been ignored. Participants say this refusal to engage left them no choice but to escalate’.
The report referred to is from team of independent experts commissioned by the United Nations’ Human Rights Council, which concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory’s 72-page legal analysis is the strongest UN finding to date, but the body is independent and does not officially speak for the United Nations.
MP won’t meet group
The Echo sought comment from Mrs Elliot’s office.
She replied, ‘My Electorate Office provides assistance to constituents on many matters including Medicare, social security, aged care, NDIS and other matters, and many people were not able to get that assistance due to this protest’.
‘Peaceful protests are fundamental to our democracy, but they must be peaceful.
‘My staff working in the office deserve respect, not abuse and unsafe work environments,’ Justine said.
Genocide Convention violations
The group continues, ‘Participants say the Australian government is violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention. By continuing to trade with and assist Israel while mass atrocities are broadcast daily, the government is making all Australians complicit in genocide. This creates not only a moral duty but a legal one: Australians have no choice but to act’.
Former Byron Shire Councilor Cathrine Coorey said, ‘We should not have to be doing this, but our government is making us complicit in the worst crime humans can commit –— genocide. We are here not because we are criminals, but because our government’s actions are criminal.’
‘As a former Byron Shire councillor, I know governments can choose who they trade with, and who they sanction. Australia must end its complicity and impose sanctions now – because human lives are worth more than political convenience’.
Mullumbimby-based permaculture trainer and carer, Sharon Gibson added, ‘As a mother and grandmother, I cannot stand by while my government does nothing to stop this genocide. It breaks my heart to see children starved on purpose. If our leaders won’t act, then we will.’
‘We have begged for dialogue for nearly two years, sending more than eight hundred emails, but our elected representative has refused to even meet us. When politicians close their doors to their own communities, they leave us no option but to take action’
Talitha Mitchell, birth and deathcare practitioner also said. ‘As a Jewish-born woman and mother to a son with Palestinian blood ties, I feel personally responsible to speak out. Never again means never again for everyone. Israel’s genocide must end, and Australia must stop enabling it’.
The campaign is demanding that the Australian Labor government:
- Impose full sanctions on Israel, in compliance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention.
- End military cooperation, including intelligence sharing through Pine Gap, which is used to target Palestinians.
- Deliver immediate humanitarian aid and a full withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces.
The group says, ‘These actions are not fringe demands but legal and moral necessities. Ordinary people say they have been driven to occupy government offices because inaction in the face of genocide makes them complicit’.
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