Saturday afternoon saw hundreds of people gather at Byron Bay’s Railway Park to ‘join the nationwide march for Palestine, remember the atrocities of 7 October, mark two years of the resulting war in Gaza and the resulting genocide, and demand that the Australian government impose comprehensive sanctions on Israel,’ Subhi Awad told the gathered crowd
‘We are here for all people from Bundjalung to Bethlehem, we are united. We shouldn’t have to be here. We are here because our governments sold weapons to an active genocide. We will not take a step backwards until everybody is free.’
Speaking to the crowd local activist Valerie highlighted the violence of what she called the ‘colonisation’ of Palestine.
‘This is a new low that makes everyone on this planet less safe. As Bob Brown says, don’t get depressed, get active,’ she said.
Local Byron Shire councillor, Byron Bay High School teacher, and Bundjalung Woman Michelle Lowe, spoke to the rally saying, ‘Don’t let anyone forget about the children.’
The march followed Jonson Street to Apex Park and the sea where local organisers, activists, and community members, including Ella Noah Bancroft, Mr Awad, and Jacob Miller spoke. Local musicians, including Tashmeen, Juman, Laisa Loved and The Seedling performed.
Australian’s returned
Byron Shire and Northern Rivers residents Surya McEwen, Hamish Paterson, and documentary filmmaker Juliet Lamont were among those taken by the Israel Defence Force (IDF) as they attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla. They say that they, ‘endured days of torture including physical assault, threats of sexual abuse, sleep deprivation, denial of food/water’.
They, along with Australian’s Abubakir Rafiq, Bianca Webb-Pullman, and Dan Coward, were brought back to Australia on Saturday, 11 October and attended the thousands-strong rally in Sydney on Sunday.
Surya spoke at the Byron rally wearing a sling after, he said, being assaulted in an Israeli jail and having his arm dislocated. He urged the crowd to take action for Gaza, calling for the immediate implementation of sanctions on Israel.
‘There is no justice in a ceasefire that imprisons the Palestinian people to a sliver of unliveable land, with no freedom to leave and no capacity for self-determination,’ said Mr Awad.
‘Australia cannot continue to trade with and arm the genocidal state that holds Palestine captive. The so-called “ceasefire” announced by Trump is in reality a colonisation and annexation plan that denies the most basic human rights to Palestinians and cements a forever occupation.
‘The only way to peace is safety, equality, and justice for all people, and that must include the full withdrawal of all occupation forces from all of Palestine,’ Mr Subhi Awad said.
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