Palestine Rally, Oct 29, 2023 - Melbourne CBD

Last week I attended a Pro-Palestine rally in downtown Melbourne.

For a full audio record and accompanying photographs:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUklKaJ8pHk)

Below are my impressions.

 

IMPRESSIONS

The main city street was closed by masked protestors barring passage to traffic.

This may have been coordinated in advance with the police, but the sight was thuggish and surreal.

Especially in Australia.

 

I did not personally feel in danger.

But I did feel sad.

 

The rally was a mess of paranoid ignorance.

 

The master of ceremonies warned those attending not to talk to the ‘fascist media’.

 

INDIGENOUS RIGHTS

The event was supported by several groups:

- Aboriginal rights advocates, the Socialist Alliance, the Greens, and more.

 

The MC declared that we were standing on stolen land that had never been ceded to the white imperial colonialists.

Everyone present then chanted:

“Always was - Always will be - Aboriginal land!”

 (2min 35sec of the video):

 

(Are the Aboriginal supporters of Palestinians aware that many protestors would like to see this, too, become Muslim land?)

 

“Free, Free, Palestine”, they continued.

 

GUEST SPEAKERS

Five speakers were invited.

 

The first speaker was Moira, introduced to the crowd as a member of the Yorta Yorta tribe and a Jew. A young woman ascended to the stage, sporting a moustache. I was confused.

“I am a black, queer, anti-zionist Jew...” she began (4min 1sec of the video).

 

Another speaker was later introduced as 

‘an anti-zionist Jewish member of Socialist Alternative, a student activist who has done a power of solidarity work at Melbourne University, and a dear friend of Palestine’. (17min 30 sec)

 

This speaker began by declaring Israel the biggest liar in the world.

“Israel says it is bombing Gaza in the name of Judaism. I say Israel, you do not speak for me!”. (I have no idea where he got that idea from). He continued, hysterically screaming out anti-Israel hyperbole.

 

He presented as a sad young man with no friends who discovered that he could attract attention by saying what the rabble wanted to hear.

 

Another speaker, assistant secretary of the AMWU (workers’ union), spoke with fervour. Although probably well-intentioned, his naivete, ignorance and lack of context were palpable.

”My union is putting on a movie night at Trades Hall...bring somebody who doesn’t know much about the Palestinian thing...ask them what they would do, when you need a permit to work on the Israeli side of the fence...what they would do if their kids are being killed... would they merely start a Friday protest, in peace, throwing rocks? How dare you throw a fucking rock, you might scratch a soldier. Shame!” (from 33min 22sec).

 

I was flabbergasted. Seeing the calibre of the speakers, I felt only sorrow for their cause.

Most of what was said that day was unfounded, wrong, illogical, or based on tropes that no one in the audience would ever bother to investigate.

 

The Federal Government was attacked, as was ‘Genocide Joe’ Biden. Trigger words were bandied around as if they were justified by their very use: genocide, apartheid, imperialism, fascism, colonial monsters, liberation, class struggle, equality, war crimes, occupation, oppression and more.

 

“My friends,” stated the MC, “history will judge this moment, and those that stood with us and those that stood against us, and we’re taking receipts and we won’t forget...” (9min 5 sec). That sounded like a threat to me.

‘Our battle is against imperialism, hegemony, Zionism, it is not against the Jewish people’ (16min 20sec)

 

This is not a religious struggle, insisted the MC. Meanwhile, a large marquee beside the stage issued free copies of the

Quran to passers-by.

 

HIGHLIGHTS

- “Our fight is for a better tomorrow, Gaza ‘23 is the start of the revolution.” (35min 35sec).

 

- “I know why Palestinians were chosen; because we are the beacon of humanity” (36min 47sec)

 

- “Our fight is honour, it’s an honourable fight against all those things that seek to oppress us, from imperialism and colonialism and hate and racism, when Palestine is free we are all free. Palestine is a reminder to all downtrodden people, you cannot conquer indigenous people, you cannot break the spirit of people who are connected with their land” (37min 28sec).

 

HAMAS

Notably, there was no mention of Hamas - the elected government of Gaza, which perpetrated a gory pogrom of a significant number of Israeli citizens, triggering Israel’s response in Gaza.

The name, agenda and conduct of Hamas, the instigators of current events - were deafening in their absence.

 

NATIONAL ANTHEMS

 

Surprisingly, the Australian national anthem was not sung at the event. It felt odd.

The Palestinian national anthem was also not sung. 

It would be surprising if anyone present knew of its existence, let alone its lyrics.

For contrast, see my posts about events held in solidarity with Israel.

 

I hope this post has provided some insight into the flavour of current events.