Over the weekend, I spoke at the protest organised by Unionists for Palestine outside the Australian Labor Party State Conference.
It was moving to see hundreds of people gathered outside, early on a cold Saturday morning, to protest against the ALP’s failures on Palestine, refugees, public housing and more.
I spoke about the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and Labor’s complicity through their refusal to sever military connections with Israel.
I’d like to also note that I’ve been to many Palestine protests over the past seven months, all calling for peace despite terrible losses from the Gaza genocide.
So it was disappointing to see MPs jostled and reports that someone made a homophobic comment at this protest. I don’t condone that behaviour.
It is particularly important that we don’t allow this to distract attention from Israel’s ongoing genocide, or from the failure of state and federal Labor governments to condemn it and end their military connections with Israel.
The Greens and I will continue working toward a permanent ceasefire and an end to the occupation.
