Hundreds March Across 5 Australian Cities for Nakba Day as Melbourne Rally Draws 500
Updated
Updated · ABC News · May 17
Hundreds March Across 5 Australian Cities for Nakba Day as Melbourne Rally Draws 500
5 articles · Updated · ABC News · May 17
About 500 people rallied in Melbourne, where Nakba Day marches across Australia marked the 78th anniversary of the 1948 displacement of Palestinians.
Brisbane drew about 350 protesters, Perth about 300, Adelaide more than 200 and Hobart more than 100, with speakers stressing solidarity, resistance and the continuing impact of the Nakba.
Police kept opposing groups apart in Melbourne and maintained a visible presence in Adelaide, but authorities reported no issues during the events.
Speakers including Senator Lydia Thorpe and Greens Senator David Shoebridge linked the commemorations to the current Middle East conflict and criticized the Australian government's stance.
Nakba Day commemorates the estimated 750,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled in 1948, with the unresolved right of return still central to the conflict.
Seventy-eight years on, is the Palestinian 'right of return' a viable path to peace or an existential threat to Israel?
As global focus shifts to Iran, are stalled peace talks creating a forgotten humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza?
With a peace deal in place, why does Gaza's humanitarian crisis continue to deepen under Israeli control and aid restrictions?