SYDNEY: Thousands of Australians participated in nationwide pro-Palestinian demonstrations on Sunday amid escalating diplomatic tensions between Israel and Australia.
Organisers from the Palestine Action Group reported more than forty separate protests occurring across the country with significant gatherings in major state capitals.
The group claimed approximately 350,000 attendees nationwide including an estimated 50,000 participants in Brisbane alone.
Police authorities provided a more conservative estimate of around 10,000 attendees for the Brisbane rally without offering official figures for Sydney and Melbourne events.
Sydney organiser Josh Lees stated participants were demanding an immediate end to what he described as “genocide in Gaza” while calling for government sanctions against Israel.
Many demonstrators carried Palestinian flags and chanted liberation slogans throughout the rallies.
Alex Ryvchin from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry expressed concerns that the protests created “an unsafe environment and shouldn’t be happening”.
The Executive Council represents more than two hundred Jewish organisations across Australia.
Some Jewish organisations within Australia have nevertheless expressed support for the pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
These protests follow intensified personal criticisms from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed at Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Diplomatic relations deteriorated after Australia’s Labor government announced conditional recognition of Palestinian statehood earlier this month.
Britain, France and Canada have made similar moves toward recognising Palestinian statehood in recent weeks.
The Australian government’s August 11 announcement came shortly after massive peace marches across Sydney’s Harbour Bridge.
Those earlier demonstrations called for increased humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza amid ongoing conflict.
Palestinian authorities report more than 60,000 fatalities in Gaza since Israel launched its offensive nearly two years ago.
Humanitarian organisations warn that severe food shortages are causing widespread starvation throughout the region. – Reuters
