It's Not Over Yet
BREAKING: Protesters Brand Netanyahu a 'Child Killer' in Shocking Sydney Rally
Mass pro-Palestinian demonstrations sweep across Australia as protesters challenge the Gaza ceasefire and condemn Israeli policies, drawing both support and criticism.
Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators mobilized across Australia today, staging rallies that condemned Israel and expressed deep skepticism over the durability and effectiveness of the recent US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza.
Organizers estimated that 30,000 people packed central Sydney alone, as the demonstration there became one of 27 coordinated protests held nationwide, according to the Palestine Action Group. The protests continue despite the cessation of active fighting and the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.
Ceasefire Dismissed as Insufficient
The core message from the demonstrators is that the ceasefire fails to address the underlying political conditions.
Amal Naser, an organizer of the Sydney rally, dismissed the notion that the end of active combat marks a resolution, stating:
"Even if the ceasefire holds, Israel is still conducting a military occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. The occupation as well as systemic discrimination against Palestinians living in Israel constitute an Apartheid system.”
Visuals and Counter-Criticism
Australian Broadcasting Corp. footage showed protesters carrying Palestinian flags and keffiyeh scarves, marching through closed city streets. Some displayed inflammatory placards, including images of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu altered with a Hitler mustache and labeled “Child killer.”
New South Wales police reported no arrests during the Sydney rally. Similar anti-Israel protests were also reported in other global cities, including Jakarta, Indonesia.
In response, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, an umbrella organization representing numerous Jewish groups, condemned the organizers of the demonstrations. Co-chief executive Peter Wertheim stated that the groups actively desire the failure of the peace agreement:
“They want the deal to fail, which would mean the war would continue.”
The mass demonstrations highlight the ongoing, deeply polarized global reaction to the Israel-Hamas conflict, demonstrating that for a large segment of activists, the demand is not for a truce but for a fundamental shift in the regional status quo.