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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School Strike For Palestine Rally

Yesterday, several hundred school and university students went on strike to protest against the war in Palestine.

University students marched from Sydney Uni, past UTS and then to Town Hall to meet up with high schoolers. Speeches were made by a variety of students, as well as by academics and educators.

The protest then moved to Trades Hall on Sussex Street, the headquarters of the incumbent Labor Party, where further speeches were made - amongst much jeering - urging the ALP to do more to support a ceasefire and to stop military trade with Israel.

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Free Palestine Rally - Week 20

Week 20 of the ‘Free Palestine’ rallies in Sydney, Gadigal Land.

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No Pinkwashing Genocide QTOPIA Protest

Yesterday, a small but passionate group turned up to Taylor Square in Darlinghurst, on Gadigal Land, to protest at the opening of QTOPIA, a LGBTQIA+ museum based at the former police station where participants of the original 1978 ‘Mardi Gras’ protest were arrested and bashed by police.

The museum is partially funded by the Murdochs, who the protesters at yesterday’s event say have demonised the LGBTQIA+ community for decades through their media empire. Also present at the launch of Qtopia was Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Premier Chris Minns, ABC Chair Ita Buttrose, and Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch. Speakers at the rally, including original ‘78-ers, accused these dignitaries of ‘pinkwashing’ over LGBTQIA+ issues, and of supporting the war in Gaza. Some speakers claimed they were banned from attending the launch because of their support for Palestine.

The protest was kept well away from Qtopia by a large police and security presence, despite an offical Form 1 approval to hold the protest outside the museum.

After speeches, protesters moved from Taylor Square to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Holocaust memorial at Green Park on Darlinghurst Road.

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Property Is Theft

Locks containing keys to Air BnB apartments in Potts Point, during a time of soaring rents and homelessness.

Shot on a Leica M6TTL with black and white Kodak Tri-X 35mm film.

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Palestine Sit-In at the Offices of PM Albanese

Protestors have been battling rain and heat for the last week during what is a round-the-clock vigil and sit-in outside the electoral offices of Prime Minister Albanese in Marrickville, Gadigal Land.

Protestors are demanding that Australia cease any support of Israel in its war on Palestine, reinstate UNRWA funding and does more to support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The sit-in has been a weekly protest for the last 16 weeks, becoming an indefinite 24-7 affair a week ago. On Sunday, the picket marked 4 months of protest with a live stream and a special song to highlight the impending Israeli ground assault on the Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza.

Organisers of the sit-in are vowing to stay until the war ends.

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Mardi Gras Street Rally

On Sunday, around 200 people gathered at Pride Square in Newtown, Sydney, Gadigal Land to rally for LGBTQIA+ rights and to mark the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, which was a political protest held in 1978. Speakers at the rally called for the passing of ‘Self-ID’ legislation in NSW, which would allow for trans and gender diverse people to self-nominate their legal gender. Solidarity with Palestine was also expressed by those present, as the war on Gaza continues.

Amongst a strong police presence, the rally then marched down King Street, through Newtown, to Hollis Park.

The protest was organised by Pride in Protest and the USYD Queer Action Collective.

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Free Palestine Rally - Week 19

Photographs from yesterday’s 19th consecutive weekly ‘Free Palestine’ rally in Sydney, Gadigal land.

It came as Israel’s imminent ground assault on the Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza is condemned by world leaders, who are warning that such an attack would result in massive civilian deaths and casualties.

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Stepping Stones

Stepping Stones.

Shot on a Leica M6TTL with black and white Kodak Tri-X 35mm film.

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