A peaceful march through Byron Bay on Sunday morning brought people together in solidarity with Palestinians and to call for an end to the continuing violence in Gaza.
Local comedian and Greens candidate for Ballina Mandy Nolan introduced several speakers before an estimated 600 participants completed a lap of the town, bringing their message of peace and humanity to the streets of Byron Bay.
Subhi Awad, Palestinian refugee, and convenor of Northern Rivers Friends of Palestine, said
‘It is an outrage that we can be arrested for protesting genocide than for being complicit in it.” We are enraged by our government acting in the interests of Israel ahead of the interests of us, its citizens.
‘NSW Labor premier, Chris Minns, is joining Queensland’s action to silence political speech – he wants us to be banned from saying “from the river to the sea” and “globalise the intifada”. Like Australians rallying across the country, we call on the Albanese government sanction to Israel, end the two-way military trade and expel the Israeli ambassador.’
Never again
Annie Pfingst from Jews for Palestine Northern Rivers and Northern Rivers Friends of Palestine said, ‘As a granddaughter of the European genocide I, amongst others, are under ethical obligation to give effect and voice to “never again”.
‘Australia is a signatory to the 1948 Genocide Convention. This places Australia under obligation to punish or prevent a genocide.’
Cass Lillis, intensive care nurse and recent volunteer with PANZMA in Gaza said, ‘As a healthcare worker in Gaza, witnessing a genocide first hand in which our government is still complicit after three years, I am here today as a witness.
‘This complicity is supported by the legacy media, who continue to frame what’s happening not as a genocide but as a war with two sides when in fact it’s a military superpower that is deliberately killing and maiming a civilian population. I saw countless children killed and wounded in the few weeks that I was there.
‘The Albanese government has the power to stop this, first by not sending Israel the mechanisms and components to make it happen and by sanctioning Israel and expelling its representative as party to war crimes.’
Ceasefire without peace
Participant Dee Mould writes, ‘The gathering comes three years after the beginning of the devastating war in Gaza and one year after a ceasefire agreement that has failed to bring lasting peace.
‘According to Gaza health authorities, more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. More than 1,400 have reportedly died since the October 2025 ceasefire, with Israeli airstrikes continuing as recently as Saturday.
‘Much of Gaza remains destroyed, with widespread displacement, acute hunger and little progress towards reconstruction.
‘Sunday’s peaceful demonstration was a reminder that, despite the passage of time and the existence of a ceasefire, the suffering of civilians continues. A ceasefire is not the same as peace.’
International law
Protestors have demanded that the Australian Labor Party end its complicity and meet its obligations under international law.
The genocide in Gaza and Israel’s state terrorism in the West Bank were unequivocally denounced by speakers across the country, as human rights experts and advocates renewed their call for Labor to pass the Red Lines Package, introduced to parliament in September.
Australia now lags behind other western countries on sanctions, including the UK, France and Canada.
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. 
