Demonstrators take part in a pro-Palestinian rally against Israel's war and blockade in the Gaza Strip during a protest in Melbourne. AFP
Peaceful rallies were held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and dozens of other locations nationwide, in support of Palestinians suffering under Israel’s Gaza war and five-month blockade, which has pushed parts of the territory into famine.
Police estimated about 10,000 people took part, while organizers said 100,000 marched in Sydney alone. They put the total figure at 300,000 across the nation.
In Melbourne, protesters congregated outside Victoria’s State Library, chanting “sanction Israel now."
Organiser Nour Salman said Australia’s plans to recognize Palestinian statehood, in step with like-minded allies at the next United Nations meeting in September, must be accompanied by tougher sanctions on Israel.
“Enough is enough. There is no ifs, buts or maybes,” the activist said.
In Adelaide, about 5,000 people chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” gathered in Victoria Square, before marching to Parliament House, where they were addressed by independent senator Fatima Payman.
Josh Lees, a spokesman for Palestine Action Group’s Sydney branch, told the AAP news outlet that a march on Sydney Harbour Bridge earlier this month has “generated so much momentum around the country.”
Organizers estimated that 20,000 turned out in Perth, with smaller protests also in Canberra, Hobart and other cities.
The protests came after a UN-backed body officially declared famine in Gaza following months of Israeli blockade.
The world’s leading authority on food crises said on Friday that Gaza City is gripped by famine and warned it is likely to spread across the territory without a ceasefire and the lifting of Israel’s blockade.
A report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said more than half a million people — about a quarter of Gaza’s population — are facing catastrophic levels of hunger, with many at risk of dying from malnutrition-related causes. Israel has rejected the report’s findings.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 62,686 Palestinians and injured more than 157,951, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry. At least 289 people, including 115 children, have died of starvation, the ministry’s director told Al Jazeera.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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