VANGUARD - Expressing the viewpoint of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
For National Independence and Socialism • www.cpaml.org
On the 24th August in a National Day of Action for Palestine, massive crowds of over 350,000 marched in Australian cities and regional towns, with growing demands for strong government action against Israel.
In Melbourne and Sydney each 100,000, Brisbane 50,000, Perth and Hobart each 25,000, Adelaide 15,000 and Canberra 2,000. Thousands more rallied, protested and marched in regional towns and communities across the country. Protests were held outside Pine Gap, the US military intelligence base.
In Melbourne, many migrant and community groups marched with their banners demanding freedom and justice for Palestinians. A large Unions for Peace contingent of over 1,000 unionists, led by health workers’ unions, marched from the Victorian Trades Hall under their unions’ banners, joining the main rally outside the State Library at 12 pm.
Gary Foley, a veteran First People’s warrior for self-determination and liberation of his people and the Palestinians, spoke briefly to 100,000 clapping and cheering crowd. To thundering applause and cheering he told the protesters “In last 2 weeks I had a heart surgery, but I’m here because my heart is with Palestine. …They may have killed a few resistance fighters, but they will never kill resistance,” he told the cheering and applauding protesters.
Palestinian speakers angrily dismissed the Albanese government’s call for the recognition of Palestinian state as a deliberate diversion from Israel’s genocide, occupation and ethnic cleansing. Speaker after speaker called for the government to implement sanctions against Israel, stop exporting arms and F35 parts used in Israel’s genocide. They called for self-determination and liberation of Palestine.
As the march of 100,000 blocked the centre of Melbourne, chanting broke out “Hey, hey Israel, USA, how many kids did you kill today!”
While Israeli genocide policy was condemned in speeches and on banners, the supporting role of US imperialism was also noted by many rally participants.
US imperialism is the great enabler and sustainer of Israeli oppression – a well-armed base in the Middle East to coordinate and impose policies in line with US economic and military interests. It provides the enormous supply of weapons, political cover and UN veto protection, while generating profits for US arms companies. It denigrates the rightful and justified Palestinian resistance as “terrorists” and does nothing to even acknowledge the existence of Palestinian people.
The “Two state solution” is not viable – a mirage to distract opposition to the Zionist agenda which has always been to take possession and occupy all of the territory for “Greater Israel” from “the Jordan River to the Mediterranean”. The two-state mirage has been further sustained by the complacent Abbas bloc in Ramallah, while the West Bank territory is being gobbled up by “settler” Zionist thugs with open assistance by the IDF and Israel government. East Jerusalem is under similar attack, with Palestinian homes seized or destroyed by “settler” mobs, family members beaten, jailed or shot.
These self-called “Settlers” are terrorists! With protection from the IDF, they steal land and water, rob houses, destroy crops and olive groves and kill any Palestinian who defends themselves, resists or objects. They operate in the tradition of the infamous Irgun and Hagenah terror gangs that murdered and expelled Palestinians from their towns and villages in 1948.
In spite of all the oppression and tremendous odds, the Palestinian people have persevered in their 77 years long struggle and have won overwhelming support from people around the world.
In Australia, more people are demanding that the Albanese government imposes strong sanctions against the Israeli government, demand an immediate end to the assault on Gaza, cut off the supply of weapons parts for the F35 jet fighter, and organise massive aid and medical supplies to Gaza and the West Bank.
These honest demands of the Australian people come up against the interests of US imperialism, and Albo and Marles will duck out every time. They will not risk being “Trumped”! That is Australia’s problem – how to get rid of US imperialist domination and make our contribution to the liberation of peoples of the world.
End the US-Australia alliance!
Close Pine Gap!
Fight for Australia’s anti-imperialist independence and socialism!