The 50th week of continuous protests against Israel鈥檚 genocide came days after Israel鈥檚 terrorist attacks on the people of Lebanon, by means of exploding devices such as pagers and walkie-talkies.
At least 25 people were killed and more than 600 wounded in Lebanon on September 18, when electronic devices 鈥渆xploded without warning鈥, to Democracy Now on September 19. Some of the blasts happened at the funerals of some of the 12 people . Thousands more people were left with 鈥済ruesome injuries鈥.
鈥淭his has been widely reported in the Western press as a sophisticated campaign that targeted alleged [Lebanese resistance group] Hezbollah operatives,鈥 journalist Lara Bitar Democracy Now. 鈥淏ut the reality is that, for the most part, these explosions were occurring in civilian areas.鈥
Israel鈥檚 attacks on Hezbollah are because it is supporting the people of Gaza against Israel鈥檚 genocide. Israeli spokespeople聽 that the attacks on Lebanon are a 鈥渘ew phase鈥 of the same war.
By September 23, Israel had launched across southern and eastern Lebanon, killing more than 100 people and wounding more than 400.
Bitar said that 鈥渢he Israeli government has already taken a decision to escalate, to wage full-scale war on all of Lebanon鈥.
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Justice for Palestine organiser Phil Monsour opened the September 20 protest rally in Magan-djin/Brisbane saying, 鈥淚 struggle with the idea that someone could say 鈥榩ush that switch now, let's blow 3000 people up鈥欌.
Monsour described the pager explosions as 鈥渟tate terror鈥, adding, 鈥渨e march as human beings who will not accept state terror, will not accept occupation, will not accept apartheid鈥.
Nasser Mashni, from the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN), said 鈥渨e are at week 50 and we are still going, unbroken and unconquered like the heroes in Palestine鈥.
鈥淭he fight for Palestine is an anti-racist, anti-colonial movement; it鈥檚 a fight for a world of tomorrow where we all 产别濒辞苍驳.鈥
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Mashni condemned the 鈥渢errorist state of Israel鈥, which has 鈥渋mpunity to kill, to crush, to booby trap鈥. He said that when Israel 鈥渟et those pagers off鈥, they could not and did not know 鈥渋f somebody was picking up their kids from school鈥 or 鈥渋f a kid would pick up a beeper from a table and look at it and die, as did two children in Lebanon鈥.
The rally also came two days after the Australian government 聽on a United Nations vote against Israel鈥檚 illegal occupation of Palestine.
Remah Naji, Justice for Palestine organiser and Greens鈥 candidate for Moreton, told the rally that 鈥淟abor apologists鈥 will claim that this was the right decision, but these are 鈥渨easel words鈥. 鈥淭he Labor Party does not have a moral backbone ... They sold us, and threw us under the bus.鈥
A few days before, the Gaza Ministry of Health of 34,344 people killed by Israel鈥檚 genocidal assault on Gaza, as at August 31. A further 7613 people, who have not been identified, have been declared dead on arrival at Gazan hospitals.
The first of names 鈥 710 babies 鈥 were listed as age 0, meaning they were killed before they reached their first birthday.
Naji and Mashni also spoke at a forum on on September 21.
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Thousands of people joined the weekly protest in Naarm/Melbourne on September 22, marching from the State Library to Parliament聽House.
Jacob Andrewartha reports that聽Meriki Onus from Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance spoke, making the comparison between the settler-colonial history of Australia and the struggle for a free Palestine.
Onus added that a victory for Palestine would lay the basis for the 鈥渇reedom of all First Nations and oppressed people from settler-colonial states all around the world鈥.
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Palestinian activist聽Iman Hassayen聽reflected on the protests against Land Forces, condemning weapons鈥 manufacturers that profit from the 鈥済enocide of Palestinians鈥. 鈥淥ur demands are clear, Israel must be sanctioned and an arms embargo must be imposed.鈥
Thousands through the centre of Gadigal Country/Sydney on September 22 to protest Israel鈥檚 terrorism and genocide in Lebanon and Palestine.
Peter Boyle reported that the march was organised by the Palestine Action Group Sydney. Powerful street theatre has been part of the large protests against Israel鈥檚 war crimes in all major cities in Australia, but the corporate media is not covering them.
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This silence shows their criminal complicity in the Gaza genocide.
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Chloe DS reports that a rally for Palestine was organised in聽Dja Dja Wurrung Country/Castlemaine on September 22.
Arlo, high school student and Disrupt Land Forces (DLF) protester, recounted the anti-weapons protest held the previous week in Naarm/Melbourne. He spoke about militarism having deep ties to colonial oppression, including the oppression of First Nations.
鈥淢ilitarism and colonialism is killing people,鈥 Arlo said. He criticised the聽biased media coverage that depicted protesters as 鈥渧iolent鈥, when armed police were the violent ones. 鈥淚 was happy to be part of this festival of resistance.鈥
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Jen, who chaired the rally, pointed to Labor鈥檚 inaction and hypocrisy.聽鈥淚'm tired of your words Penny and Albo. You have the power to sanction Israel and you do nothing.鈥澛燬he said rallies give 鈥渉ope鈥 that people power can collectively 鈥渕ake change鈥.
Rowan, also part of organising DLF, spoke about how 鈥渨e need to build the narrative that militarism should not be pushed in our society鈥. He encouraged people to protest against the Avalon airshow next year, saying 鈥渋t鈥檚 like Land Forces, but this time it鈥檚 air forces鈥.
He said many people from the local area were proud to help the DLF events, such as the Anti-Military Motorcade, the vigil for Gaza and the Red Rebels die-in.
Meera, who was also part of DLF, spoke about the truth-telling circle at Camp Sovereignty. She reported on a Vigil for Gaza where volunteers had folded and displayed over 16,000 paper kites 鈥 one for every child martyred in Gaza.
In Unanderra/Wollongong, a 100-strong protest against Bisalloy Steel was organised by Wollongong Friends of Palestine on September 19. Bisalloy Steel produces steel products, including those used in Israeli tanks.
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The in Kaurna Yerta/Adelaide on September 22 highlighted Israel鈥檚 daily war crimes and atrocities. Jordan Ellis reported that 鈥渢his last week, footage emerged of Israeli soldiers pushing dead bodies off a rooftop in the occupied West Bank鈥.
Other actions in Kaurna Yerta聽included a on September 22 and a on September 15.
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Socialist Alliance national co-convenor, Sam Wainwright, the Australian government on September 23 for refusing to vote for Palestine鈥檚 motion at the United Nations.
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