NOURNEWS- Deutsche Welle, quoted from Australian local media and wrote in its report: Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Australia’s biggest city to express solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
About 15,000 attended the rally in Sydney on Saturday 21 October, organizer of the Palestine Action Group, said, with protesters chanting “free, free Palestine” and “down, down Israel”.
Thousands more Australians attended rallies in Perth, Brisbane, and Hobart, with more pro-Palestinian events scheduled to take place on Sunday in Melbourne and Adelaide.
“It’s difficult, what has been broadcasted in the Western media is definitely not reflecting what is on the ground,” Abdullah Ali, who attended the Sydney rally, was quoted as saying by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“What I see is different … I see parts of children being put in plastic bags, it’s extremely hard for anyone to see.”
Protester Barbara O'Neill described Palestinians as “my brothers and sisters”, saying, “They have been suffering genocide publicly and in a very high-profile way.”
Rally-goer James McGlone said people had a “right to know what’s going on with the Palestinians… If they knew what the state of Israel has done and is continuing to do, they would support Palestine.”
At least 4,137 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its bombardment of the enclave in response to attacks by Hamas on October 7, according to Palestinian officials.
Oxfam and United Nations agencies have warned that the enclave is facing a humanitarian catastrophe, as residents risk contracting cholera and other deadly infectious diseases due to the collapse of water and sanitation services.
Saturday’s rally went ahead peacefully after receiving last-minute approval from police, following controversy over a previous event that featured anti-Jewish slogans.
Organizers had warned that anti-Jewish chants, flag burning and flares would not be tolerated during the event.
There were no reports of arrests.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns had earlier promised “zero tolerance” for violence or hate speech.
NOURNEWS