BY JENNY LONG
SYDNEY — Palestine's supporters have continued to protest against Israel's brutality, and the Australian government's unwillingness to oppose it. After almost daily vigils, many at the Israeli consulate, activists met on April 10 to plan a peaceful mass rally for April 19.
An after work vigil at the Israeli consulate on April 9 organised by the Greens involved around 30 activists. A more spontaneous action outside Sydney Town Hall on April 12 was sparked by reports of the disposal by Israeli soldiers of bodies in mass graves dug in the Jenin refugee camp.
The April 19 protest, which has been endorsed by Sydney's Palestinian community, is part of an Asia Pacific regional day of solidarity with Palestine, called for on April 1 by the second Asia Pacific International Solidarity Conference. Actions are planned in India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Indonesia as well as every Australian capital city.
Protest organisers are determined not to be deterred by the corporate media's distortion of an April 6 solidarity demonstration. Television coverage of the event focused almost exclusively on "violence" by a tiny section of the 8000-strong protest who were stopped from attacking the Israeli consulate by protest marshals and police. Unintimidated by media condemnation, activists vow that April 19 will be peaceful and powerful.
For information on the rally or the evening vigils, phone (02) 9690 1977. The April 19 rally in Sydney starts from Town Hall Square at 5pm. For details of other rallies see the advertisement on page 15.
From Green Left Weekly, April 24, 2002.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.