Thousands of pro-Palestinian protestors rally at docks across Australia

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protestors are rallying at docks across the country today as pressure mounts on the Australian government to cut military and trade ties with Israel.

As the humanitarian crisis worsens in Gaza, protestors, unionists and student movements are amplifying calls for Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS). Rallies are taking place in Sydney’s Port Botany and other docks in major cities across the country.

Protestors are demanding that shipping companies operating in Australian ports declare any trade or cargo with Israel, that they impose an arms embargo and trade sanctions on the state of Israel, and that charges against activists and unionists advocating for a ceasefire are dropped.

Paul Keating, Branch Secretary of Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), said, “How much civilian death will it take for the Albanese Government to take action?”

“The International Criminal Court is seeking the arrest of the Israeli Prime Minister for war crimes, and yet our own Government still wants to sell him weapons? If our Government won’t take action we will.”

Keating was among the nineteen people arrested during a confrontation with police as pro-Palestine protesters attempted to block the entrance to Sydney’s Port Botany in March. An earlier protest in November last year saw 23 protestors charged for protesting the arrival of Israeli shipping line ZIM.

Ahmed Abadla from Palestine Justice Movement Sydney said May 25 marked “the kick off of a wide scale boycott campaign against the rogue Zionist state, calling for an end to all trade with Apartheid Israel through Australian ports.”

“We call on the Australian government to cut all ties with, and impose sanctions on, such an apartheid regime that has been slaughtering innocent men, women and children in Gaza in a flagrant contravention of international and humanitarian laws.”