Around thirty protesters, including members of Northern Rivers For Palestine, said this morning they’d occupied the electorate office of Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
The group issued a statement saying they strongly objected to the Albanese government’s ‘excessive weapons spending’, while Australians were without homes, healthcare and disability support.
It’s understood the Treasurer, due to deliver Australia’s next financial year budget tomorrow, was elsewhere.
Organiser and Palestinian Subhi Awad said Australian taxes were subsidising death and destruction instead of hospitals and homes.
The protest was also an act of solidarity with the Samud flotilla trying to reach Gaza with humanitarian aid.
Former Byron Shire councillor joins protest
Banners were hung at the treasurer’s electorate office reading ‘Flotilla sails while government fails’ and ‘End the occupation’ and paper boats representing the intercepted flotilla boats were displayed at the entrance.
Police are on site.
‘Australian humanitarians have been illegally kidnapped, beaten and abused for trying to deliver life-saving aid,’ Mr Awad said.
‘Instead of advocating for the safety of Australians, the government has sided with those hurting them,’ he said.
Former Byron Shire Councillor and Lebanese Australian Cate Coorey was also at the protest and was calling for sanctions against Israel.
‘The government has committed $425 billion over the next decade for the Australian Defence Force, and has moved to cut NDIS participation by 160,000 people,’ a statement from the pair read.
‘The National Agreement on Social Housing is around $1.8 billion per year.
‘This record military spending dwarfs what the government is committing to essential services.’
As well as sanctions, protesters called for Australia to stop exporting components used in weapons systems to Israel and for protection of Australians participating in the flotilla.
‘Activists reported being beaten with rifle butts, batons, fists and feet while held on an Israeli vessel,’ this morning’s statement read, ‘22 of 58 flotilla vessels were sunk or vandalised in international waters approximately 1,000 kilometres from Gaza’.
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