Thousands of Palestinian supporters have gathered in Melbourne for a seventh week in a row calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Key points:
- Senator Lidia Thorpe addressed the Melbourne pro-Palestinian rally
- She said she would take the rally's message to Canberra
- Pro-Palestinian rallies are also planned in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane
The crowd at the State Library of Victoria in the CBD appeared smaller than in previous weeks, as the rally began about noon under rainy skies.
Many of the attendees donned a keffiyeh around their necks and waved Palestinian flags.
One of the speakers, Independent senator Lidia Thorpe, spoke of how she had been in police protection in recent weeks and had been trapped in her home for five months.
Ms Thorpe last month accused Australian Federal Police of failing to protect her after becoming the target of far-right extremists and racist abuse.
She told the crowd she would return to Canberra on Monday and take the message of the demonstrators to parliament.
"I will fight for you and I will stand up," Ms Thorpe said.
"And I will not let this colonial system perpetrate or facilitate the genocide that's going on."
The protesters chanted "free free Palestine" and "ceasefire now", as they made their way south down Swanston Street to Flinders Street before settling on parliament.
Similar rallies are also planned in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
Sydney told to 'stand up against anti-Semitism'
Earlier in the day at Sydney's Martin Place the Jewish community gathered for a rally calling for the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Many in the crowd of about 2,000 people, according to NSW Police, waved Israeli flags and held up signs with the faces of hostages still being held in captivity by Hamas.
Some were accompanied by non-Jewish friends who attended in solidarity.
The first of the hostages and prisoners on either side were released on Friday, as part of a temporary ceasefire, and after a delay, a second group was released today.
Zack Shachar and his family told the ABC their 19-year-old relative, Naama, has been held in Gaza for 50 days.
"It's terrible it's really hard. We have no information, we don't know nothing of what happened," the Sydney man said.
"I'm happy that the kids are coming back home, but we want to see all of them. We want to see all of the kidnapped back home."
Federal MP for Wentworth Allegra Spender told the rally she was "appalled" by the instances of anti-Semitism she had witnessed within the community.
"Nobody should feel isolated and targeted and what I know about my country is that you will not be intimidated," she said.
"It's a problem not just [for] the Jewish community but the whole of Australia.
"We need to stand up against anti-Semitism and racism and the Jewish community is not the only community being targeted.
"I will stand up against hate speech and anti-Semitism because they are tearing this country apart and we must not stand for it."
Former NSW treasurer Eric Roozendaal said there was "a glimmer of joy with the safe return of some hostages".
"We hope and pray for the return of all the hostages and for peace," he told the rally.
He also spoke of the rise of anti-Semitism, saying it must be stamped out.
"These incidents are totally incompatible with our Australian values of tolerance, community harmony and respect for others," he said.
"What we are experiencing is simply un-Australian.
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIzLTExLTI2L3Byby1wYWxlc3Rpbmlhbi1wcm8taXNyYWVsaS1yYWxsaWVzLW5hdGlvbndpZGUtd2Vlay1zZXZlbi8xMDMxNTE4NDDSAShodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTAzMTUxODQw?oc=5
2023-11-26 01:01:43Z
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