Judging by the toots of support for Palestine at the “Northern Suburbs Speak Out for Palestine” in Coburg on October 19, people stand with the Palestinian people.
Myself and Merri-bek Councillor Monica Harte organised the action at the request of local residents.
People lined Sydney Road and Bell Street and called on motorists to toot their support for Palestine.
Up to 1000 participated over the two hours — showing strong support from the northern suburbs.
We heard from Palestinians, Free Palestine Melbourne, the Loud Jews Collective and other community groups.
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An Australian Manufacturing Workers Union organiser, who recently returned from Palestine, told the crowd: “Many of you vote for the Labor Party, but now that Labor is in government, it has turned its backs on you.
“Labor is supporting war crimes and genocide in Palestine,” he said.
Monica Harte and I organised the speak-out as a demonstration of community solidarity with Palestine. But we also wanted to tell the federal government to end its support for war crimes and genocide in Gaza.
One of the most significant things we can do here is to build so much pressure that the government is forced to withdraw its support for Israel’s policy of genocide in Gaza and Palestine.
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Across the world people are demonstrating to stop their governments supporting genocide. This is the only pressure that is capable of forcing Israel to stop.
We need to organise community actions in support of Palestine across all cities, big and small, as well as in the suburbs. We also need workplaces and unions and other community groups to show support for Palestine.
[Sue Bolton is a Socialist Alliance councillor in Merri-bek City Council.]