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.”
