As Israel, backed by the United States, continues to ignore every international law on “war” — even attacking a United Nations peacekeeping force on the Lebanon/Israel border — protests demanding Israel be sanctioned and for a permanent ceasefire continue across the world.
More than 2255 people have been killed in Israel’s war on Lebanon, including 127 children, with at least 10,524 people injured, according to Al Jazeera. More than a million have been displaced from their homes.
Wafa news agency reported on October 14 that Israel bombed tents housing displaced Palestinians inside the grounds of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza: 22 people were confirmed dead. At least 300 people have been killed in Israel’s new military siege of northern Gaza, and tens of thousands are trapped by the ground invasion and drone strikes.
Democratic Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris has doubled down on support for Israel’s “right to defend itself”. While claiming she and US President Joe Biden support a ceasefire, the US continues to provide essential political and military support, without which Israel could not continue to spread its war.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin endorsed Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon in early October and has committed troops to operate a US-provided Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery for Israel to use in its surface-to-air missile systems to attack Iran. Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said the THAAD deployment “underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel”.
Nearly 10,000 peacekeepers from 50 countries are stationed in Lebanon, alongside about 800 civilian staff. They patrol the area between the Litani River and the UN-recognised boundary between Lebanon and Israel known as the “Blue Line”.
Lebanese environment minister Dr Nasser Yassin told the ABC on September 30 that world leaders are “not acting as they should be to stop the war”.
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Thousands rallied for Palestine in Magan-djin/Brisbane on October 13, marking 12 months of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, reports Alex Bainbridge.
Rally chairperson Remah Naji opened the protest saying that the past year has “revealed so much; it’s exposed the complicity of the ruling class and the mainstream media”.
She said that while the year has been marked by “betrayal and shame” by those who are silent or complicit in the genocide, it has also been a year of “solidarity, resistance and hope”.
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Twenty people representing a wide range of organisations and communities gave two-minute speeches. Wangerriburra and Birri Gubba activist Sam Watson paid tribute to the thousands of people who have rallied time and again, building hope and solidarity.
Mira from Doykiet Magan-djin spoke on behalf of the “many anti-Zionist Jews in so-called Australia and around the world who stand in solidarity with Palestine”.
“Over the past year, we've been horrified and disgusted as Israel has bombed hospitals, schools and refugee camps and has claimed to be doing this in our name.”
Protesters filled the Victoria Bridge, marching to the ABC in Southbank to protest its complicity in the genocide.
Two days earlier, more than 60 people participated in a healthcare workers’ vigil near the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. Participants signed a large banner, reading “Free Gaza Medics”, which was carried in the October 13 rally.
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Justice for Palestine Magan-djin is organising another rally on October 25 and has plans for a big rally on November 29, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Other ways people have been shown solidarity with Palestine include the Big Ride for Palestine, which featured two events over October 12–13, with a ride coming up on October 20.
An exhibition, which opened on October 10, showing more than 150 photos from 16 photographers documenting the past year, was organised by Justice for Palestine Magan-djin and Magandjin Creatives for Palestine.
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Alex Salmon reports that hundreds protested in Boorloo/Perth on October 12 to mark 12 months of Israel’s genocide. The Friends of Palestine WA-organised protest heard from various speakers, including Janet Parker from Jews for Palestine, who condemned Labor’s continued Islamophobia and hypocrisy.
Parker criticised politicians and the corporate media’s attacks on protesters calling for peace and justice for Palestinians and Lebanese people.
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A spirited rally in Djilang/Geelong on October 12 condemned the war on Gaza and the invasion of Lebanon, reports Sue Bull.
Protesters marched by defence minister Richard Marles’ two offices, demanding he push harder for a ceasefire, rather than investing in more weapons for war.
The protest heard from a number of people, including First Nations activist Julie Saylor Briggs, climate activists Violet Coco and Brad Homewood and Mohamed El-Masri, a volunteer and representative from Muslim Votes Matter.
El Masri said the Muslim community have been organising to have a united voice in Australian politics and that Israel’s unjust war on Palestinians has helped galvanise them into action.
Several thousand people joined the protest at Hyde Park in Gadigal Country/Sydney for the 53rd consecutive week, reports Olivia Carney. Impassioned speakers condemned NSW Labor's attempts to ban the pro-Palestine protests and the recent arrests of two students at the University of Western Sydney (WSU).
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Josh Lees, from the Palestinian Action Group, said Labor seems more concerned about preventing the democratic right to protest than to take action against the Zionist regime.
NSW Greens Senator David Shoebridge called out “the war parties” — referring to Labor and the Coalition which, he said, are almost indistinguishable.
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Thousands marched for Palestine in Naarm/Melbourne on October 13, reports Jacob Andrewartha. Speakers emphasised the need to keep protesting for Palestine in light of Israel’s escalation into Lebanon and the one year anniversary of Israel’s latest genocide.
“We can't give up on Palestine”, Lebanese activist Afaf Alfawwal said, adding, “Palestinians and Lebanese people have shown continuous resilience” and “there is no end to this resistance”.
Other speakers included Dr Samanthi J Gunawardana, an academic at Monash University; Judy Mcvey, from the Community and Public Sector Union for Palestine; and Ola Addasi, from the Palestine Community Association of Victoria.
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Students at the Western Sydney University (WSU) were arrested by NSW Police on October 9 for protesting the university’s ties with Israel, reports Isaac Nellist.
Students rallied at the Parramatta campus after a freedom of information request revealed that WSU has investments in companies with links to Israel, including LeonardoSpA, Aero Vlronment, Rolls-Royce, Chevron, Siemens and many others.
WSU also has partnerships with Thales, BAE Systems, Raytheon and the University of Tel Aviv.
According to WSU4Palestine, “a riot squad stormed the building … then proceeded to brutally arrest and drag two students out of the building”. It said one student “had his head slammed into the wall by four male police officers approximately five times”. The other was “slammed onto the floor” and arrested.
Videos of the arrests were published on the WSU4Palestine Instagram page. Both students were released on bail that night and had to go to hospital. Days later, students and staff held a protest against police brutality and racism. It was supported by Teachers for Palestine NSW and Unionists for Palestine. It was reported at the rally that a third student had been arrested that morning.
Meanwhile, at the University of Melbourne (UniMelb), police were called by management to break up a sit-in launched by UniMelb for Palestine student activists at the office of Steven Prawer, head of partnerships with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Students are demanding UniMelb cut ties with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and cancel the Jerusalem-Melbourne Joint PhD program.
UniMelb management also threatened to defund the University of Melbourne Student Union over a motion to send about $19,000 to support fundraising efforts in the village of Ni’lin in the Occupied West Bank.
The motion also included holding a forum with representatives of the Ni’lin Popular Committee.
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