VANGUARD - Expressing the viewpoint of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
For National Independence and Socialism • www.cpaml.org
In order to maintain their support for the genocidal Zionist regime in Occupied Palestine (aka Israel), Australian authorities are increasingly using repression against its opponents.
Police are regularly deployed to prevent and restrain demonstrations and rallies, either declaring them unlawful or imposing conditions related to the route or place chosen for the rally.
The most recent example of police brutality at a pro-Palestinian rally was at the rally in front of SEC Plating in Sydney. The company manufactures plating, engineering coating and finishes for F-35 fighter jets used by Israel in its death raids on Gaza.
Police declared the rally “unauthorised”, although legally, there is a right to protest in New South Wales. Police issued a “move on” order then moved in to make arrests.
Maritime Union of Australia branch organiser Shane Reside, who moved in to try and stop the police violence, was arrested. So were another three, including Hannah Thomas, a rank and file member of the Australian Services Union.
In her case, the diminutive (155cm) Thomas, who was believed to have been acting as a legal observer, was tripped to the ground, and then assaulted by arresting police, resulting in severe damage to an eye. It was reported that this would necessitate surgery and may result in the loss of sight in that eye.
She was charged with resisting arrest (resisting assault at best) and failure to comply with officers who were throwing her to the ground.
In response to community outcry, police have been forced to declare her assault a “critical incident”, that is, an event involving a NSW Police officer that results in the death or serious injury of a person, with police required to investigate once declared.
So, the police will investigate the police! As if we haven’t seen this sort of farce played out before!
This is the latest in a whole string of repressions, not all of which have involved the police. Journalist Antoinette Lattouf has just won her case after being unlawfully sacked by the ABC which had been lobbied for her dismissal by Zionist organisations.
So-called “anti-Semitism” laws have been passed to restrict criticism of Zionist Israel and its ethnic cleansing and genocide.
Laws against the right to support the Palestinians come from the same politicians who have enacted laws against the right of workers to organise.
Accordingly, workers have emerged as leaders of pro-Palestinian activities. There is the umbrella group Unionists for Palestine, as well as rank-and-file organisations in individual organisations.
This is the case in other countries as well.
We should thank the politicians and the police for encouraging the workers to organise and become active.
Where there is repression, there will be resistance.
Defiance of reactionary authority is a very good thing.