Thousands gather for first pro-Palestinian rally since fighting resumed

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Thousands of Palestinian supporters gathered in Hyde Park to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, before chanting “free, free Palestine” through Sydney’s CBD.

The rally, which remained peaceful throughout, was the first held since heavy fighting resumed in Gaza on December 1 after the ending of a seven-day pause in military operations, which began on November 24 and was extended twice.

Pro-Palestinian protesters take to Sydney streets in the first rally since fighting resumed in Gaza.Credit: Dean Sewell

The pause had allowed for the exchange of dozens of hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and facilitated the entry of humanitarian aid into the shattered coastal strip.

Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas, which rules Gaza, in response to the October 7 rampage by the militant group, in which Israel said killed 1200 people and took 240 hostages. Israel retaliated with intense bombardment and a ground invasion.

Hamas reports that more than 15,000 Gazans have been confirmed killed since October 7, while the Israeli military says it has lost 75 soldiers since the ground invasion.

After one hour of speeches, Sydney’s Palestinian supporters marched out of the park at 2pm, flanked by flags, placards and banners. Each street of the march was lined with dozens of bystanders and police officers and the protesters returned to the park by 3pm without incident.

There was a heavy police presence at the pro-Palestinian rally.Credit: Dean Sewell

Chants of “ceasefire now”, “free, free Gaza”, “shame, shame Israel” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” echoed throughout the crowd. The meaning of the “from the river to the sea” chant is contested: some argue it is a call for the destruction of Israel, but this is denied by many protesters.

Before the march, several Palestinian activists gave speeches to the passionate crowd to demand a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and end to Israeli occupation.

To the response of drum beats and applause, organiser Assala Sayara told attendees that Palestinians will continue to resist “as long as there is air in our lungs”.

“This is a promise that our commitment to the Palestinian cause is not a one-day or seven-day or seven-week commitment, this is a long-term commitment,” Sayara said.

“Even after we die, our children and our grandchildren will continue to this movement”.

Sayara said this was “not against the Jewish people … this is about 75 years of occupation”, referring to the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.

Politicians including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese soon became the target of their chants, as a woman screamed from a megaphone: “Albanese, your hands are red — more than a thousand children dead”.

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