Sydney — Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Australia on Sunday, joining global protests demanding urgent action to address what organisers called a “genocide” and starvation campaign against Palestinians in Gaza.
More than 40 rallies were held nationwide, according to advocacy group Palestine Action, with large turnouts reported in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. Organisers estimated over 300,000 Australians participated in the demonstrations.
In Brisbane, protest organiser Remah Naji said Australians expect their government to act, not just speak. “We demand actions in the same way we acted in times of genocide. We are signatories to the Genocide Convention, which means that we have an obligation to prevent and punish genocide when it occurs,” she told Al Jazeera.
Chants of “free, free Palestine” and “sanction Israel now” echoed through Sydney and Melbourne, where thousands of demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and carried placards. Organiser Nour Salman said that while Australia’s plans to recognise Palestinian statehood are welcome, they must be accompanied by sanctions on Israel. “Enough is enough. There is no ifs, buts or maybes,” Salman said.
Nick Everett, from Friends of Palestine Western Australia, told protesters in Perth that Canberra cannot claim to support human rights while maintaining military and trade links with Israel. “Trade unions, civil society, and communities across the country are united in calling for action. Palestine can’t wait,” he said.
The rallies followed a grim warning from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the world’s leading authority on hunger crises, which officially declared famine in Gaza City. The report said more than 500,000 people — roughly a quarter of Gaza’s population — are facing catastrophic levels of hunger, with many at risk of death from malnutrition.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 62,263 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023, when the war began, including more than 2,000 who died while attempting to secure food at Israeli- and U.S.-backed GHF aid distribution sites, which Palestinian officials have called “death traps.”
Sunday’s rallies extended well beyond Australia. Mass protests were held in Malaysia, Kenya, Belgium, and Senegal, while demonstrations took place over the weekend in the United Kingdom and Sweden.
In Kuala Lumpur, thousands rallied after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called for a show of solidarity, saying the protest would help mobilize a humanitarian aid mission to Gaza later this month. In Nairobi, hundreds of bikers rode in procession, chanting “Free Palestine,” while in Dakar demonstrators demanded that humanitarian corridors be opened to deliver food and medical supplies.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes in Gaza, including the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
