The Palestinian community and other supporters of Palestinians' right to peace and justice mobilised in rallies around Australia over the last week to demand that the Australian government call on Israel stop the killings of Palestinians.
Ray Fulcher reports from Melbourne that 1000 people marched through the city streets on October 6 to express their opposition to Israel's most recent abuses of the Palestinian people's human rights. The rally marched to Parliament House to present a letter demanding that the Australian government end its silence on Israel's aggression.
The rally called on the federal government to demand implementation of United Nations resolutions on Palestine, particularly resolution 194, which demands the right of return for all Palestinians, and resolution 242, which calls on Israel to return to its pre-1967 borders.
On the same day, in Canberra, 250 people marched from the Yarralumla mosque to the Israeli embassy. They demanded that Australia condemn the visit to the al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon and the brutality of the Israeli military, and support an international inquiry into the violence against the Palestinian protesters.
In Sydney, reports Jon Lamb, more than 2000 people, mostly Palestinian Australians, marched, chanting angrily, from Hyde Park in the city centre to the Israeli consulate on October 8.
Israeli flags were burned along the way and numerous placards demanded "Free Palestine!" and called on the Australian government to condemn Israel's attacks. The action was initiated by Muslim students and supported by a variety of Palestinian organisations.