Land Rights, Climate Justice and Palestine: In Conversation With Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh

Photograph’s from yesterday’s panel discussion and conversation with Palestinian writer, academic, biologist and activist, Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh, from the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability at the Bethlehem University. Professor Qumsiyeh, who is in Australia on a national tour, is also the founder and director of the Palestine Museum of Natural History.

Also speaking was Rawan Arraf, Principal Lawyer and Director of the Australian Centre for International Justice.

The event took place at the National Teacher’s Federation Conference Centre and was hosted by Ahmed Abadla and Jana Fayyad, with an Acknowledgment of Country performed by City of Sydney councillor, Emelda Davis.

The event was organised by Move Beyond Coal, ASU Members for Palestine, Palestine Action Group Sydney, Climate Activists for Palestine, Union Aid Abroad APHEDA, Palestine Justice Movement Sydney, Muslim Collective, Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine, City of Sydney for Palestine, Sydney Climate Coalition and Water for Rivers.

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USYD Gaza Solidarity Encampment - Day 4

Photographs of Day 4 of the University of Sydney ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’, where students, staff and Palestinian supporters gathered again to hear speeches, including one by Anti-Zionist Jewish author and journalist, Anthony Lowenstein, and to rally across the university’s grounds. Protesters occupied City Road for a short time, halting traffic in both directions.

Like similar actions at campuses across the U.S., Canada and France, student and staff protesters are demanding universities disclose their links to the arms industries and divest from Israel’s war on Gaza.

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Sydney Uni Gaza Solidarity Encampment - Day 3

Photographs of Day 3 of the Sydney University ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’, which focussed on alternatives to the dominant ANZAC Day narrative.

Dr Diane Fieldes led a ‘teach-in’ on the topic of ANZAC Day, colonialism and the British and Australian involvement in the establishment of Israel and the Middle East.

The day ended with a vigil for Gaza.

The encampment follows similar actions on university campuses that have spread across the USA, and now in France and Canada. Scores of students have been forcibly arrested at universities in the US.

The protesting students and staff are demanding that universities disclose their involvement in the arms industry and divest from Israel. They are also demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where over 30,000 Gazans have been killed.

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Sydney University Gaza Solidarity Encampment

Photographs from the ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ at Sydney University, where students and Palestinian supporters yesterday started a camp-in to demand a ceasefire in Gaza, and for the university to divest in any support of Israel.

The encampment follows similar mass actions at university campuses across the United States.

The Sydney University protest is being organised by Students for Palestine.

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Free Palestine Rally - Week 28

Photographs from the 28th consecutive weekly Free Palestine rallies on Gadigal Land, Sydney, Australia.

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Free Palestine Rally - Week 27

Photographs from the 27th consecutive weekly Free Palestine rally on Gadigal Land, Sydney, Australia.

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Pro-Palestinians Protest Quickstep Arms Component Manufacturer

Yesterday, more than 100 people rallied opposite the Quickstep premises in Bankstown, Dharug country, to protest against the company’s manufacturing of F-35 jet components. F-35 jets are currently being used by Israel to bomb Gaza.

Some say that this exposes Australia to being prosecuted for complicity to war crimes, particularly since the International Court of Justice is currently investigating Israel for committing genocide in Gaza.

The Federal ALP Government and Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, have repeatedly denied that Australia has been selling arms to Israel.

A large contingent of police were yesterday unable to prevent protesters from staging part of their protest directly outside Quickstep’s address, despite demanding the rally be held on the opposite side of the highway.

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The Night of Destiny: Laylat Al Qadr Prayers at Martin Place

Hundreds of Muslims turned up to Martin Place, Gadigal Land, last night, to mark Laylat Al Qadr - ‘The Night of Destiny’ - one of Islam’s holiest nights falling in the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Prayers were held in between discussion of Palestine and Gaza.

Laylat Al Qadr is believed by Muslims to be the night when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammed.

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Free Palestine Rally - Week 26

Photographs from the 26th consecutive weekly Free Palestine rally held on Gadigal Land.

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Free Palestine Rally - Week 25

Images from the 25th consecutive week of Free Palestine rallies at Hyde Park, Sydney, Gadigal Land.

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Arrests at the ZIM Shipping Protest

Nineteen people were last night arrested at Port Botany during a pro-Palestine rally, protesting against the Israeli-owned ZIM Shipping company, one of whose ships was scheduled to dock at the Patricks wharves in Sydney.

Protesters were met by a large riot squad contingent, who forcibly moved protesters off the road after they performed a peaceful sit-in, dragging several away to waiting wagons. One of those arrested was Maritime Union of Australia Sydney branch secretary, Paul Keating.

There were also reports of police members wearing far-right aligned insignia on their uniforms, such as the so-called ‘Thin Blue Line’ patch, which has been banned by the Metropolitan Police in the UK, while the Queensland Police Force has advised its members not to wear it. NSW Police says that it has “not received any reports of an officer wearing the patch which is not part of the standard NSWPF uniform”. The NSW Premier, Chris Minns, defended the actions of police.

The arrested protesters are facing a maximum of 2 years imprisonment and a $22,000 fine under the draconian anti-protest laws introduced by the last Coalition state government with support from NSW Labor, who were voted in last year.

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Free Palestine Week 24

Photographs of the 24th consecutive weekly Free Palestine rally in Sydney, Gadigal Land. Speakers this week included Jana Fayyad, Josh Lees, Aamar Naser, Hilal Asmar and Theo, who was a victim of an anti-Palestine bomb threat at his Botany home in January.

Yesterday’s march was marred by violence when police stormed a small group of protesters who were performing a peaceful street performance using red food dye as fake blood. Three people were arrested and charged with assault and malicious damage when some of the food dye found its way onto police uniforms.

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Free Palestine Rally - Week 23

Photographs from the 23rd consecutive week of Free Palestine rallies in Sydney, Gadigal country.

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Free Palestine Rally - Week 22

Photographs of last Sunday’s 22nd consecutive weekly Free Palestine rally in Hyde Park, Sydney, Gadigal Land.

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Mardi Gras - First Nations

Photographs featuring some of the First Nations representations at last Saturday’s Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, on Gadigal Land.

The parade featured an appearance by Robert Cole, dressed like his now-deceased twin brother, Malcolm, in his famous 1995 Black Captain Cook outfit.

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Mardi Gras - Pride In Protest

Photographs from last Saturday’s Pride In Protest float at the Sydney Mardi Gras.

Pride In Protest sought to bring focus back to the activist roots of the Mardi Gras, demanding an end to police participation in the parade in the wake of the alleged murder by Jesse Baird and Luke Davis by a NSW police officer. They also brought attention to the war in Palestine, calling for a an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The day started with a speak-out at Sydney Town Hall, before moving to Hyde Park for preparations for the parade, then finally down Oxford Street, in front of an estimated 200,000 people.

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Queers In Solidarity With Palestine Storm Mardi Gras

A group of ‘Queers In Solidarity With Palestine’ jumped barriers, lit coloured smoke effects and raised banners to interrupt the Labor Party float at last Saturday night’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Police quickly arrested the protesters and dragged them off the parade route. They were later charged with ‘use violence to cause fear’.

The NSW Premier, Chris Minns was escorted off the route by police immediately after the arrests.

‘Queers In Solidarity With Palestine’ are calling for an end to the war in Gaza and the West Bank.

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Protest Against Police Violence Against the LGBTQIA+ Community

On Friday evening, around 300 people turned up to Taylor Square to protest against police violence against the LGBTQIA+ community. After protesters occupied the intersection on Oxford Street, police and the riot squad moved in to forcibly remove them. The rally then marched to Surry Hills police station, where speeches were made calling for the police to be defunded.

The rally came in the wake of the murders of Luke Davies and Jess Baird, allegedly by a serving police officer, and after a report was handed down into gay hate crimes from the 1970s to 2010, which found that NSW police failed in their due diligence to investigate a series of these deaths.

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Police Violence Breaks out at Protest

Police violence broke out last night as the LGBTQIA+ community protested against the police and the recent alleged murder of Luke Davies and Jesse Baird by a police officer.

Around 200 people turned up last night at Taylor Square in Darlinghurst, Gadigal land, occupying the street intersection before police moved in.

More photos to come.

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Vigil for Luke Davies and Jesse Baird

Friends, family and community members came together yesterday evening to remember the lives of Luke Davies and Jesse Baird, who were allegedly brutally murdered by a serving police officer.

Around two thousand people turned up at Green Park in Darlinghurst, gathering in what was a solemn occasion, on the eve of Mardi Gras.

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