Protests for Palestine continue as Israel attacks Iran

June 16, 2025
Issue 
Protests for Palestine continued across the country as Israel launched strikes on Iran. Photo: Jordan AK

Israel鈥檚 new attacks on Iran, beginning on June 13, has not distracted it from its continued blitzkrieg on Gaza. The Israeli Occupation Forces continues to starve and kill Palestinians for simply trying to secure food and other necessities in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, people across the globe continue to protest Israel鈥檚 killing of more than 60,000 Palestinians and their own government support for Israel.

Al Jazeera reported an estimated walked a five kilometre loop around the CBD on June 15 to create a red line they say the government has failed to draw on Israel鈥檚 genocide. They also demanded Israel stop its attacks on Iran.

Big pro-Palestine protests calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza were also organised in Belgium (with estimates of 75,000 people), Turkiye, Brazil and Greece, over June 14鈥15.

The Global March to Gaza, which involves people from more than 80 countries, had planned to join the Sumoud Convoy of around 1500 people from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauretania, Morocco and Tunisia, to walk through the Sinai desert to the Rafah crossing on the border with Gaza on June 12.

The convoy, which included unionists, doctors, lawyers and members of youth organisations, set off through Algeria and Libya, but were , which also detained hundreds at the airport, as well as deporting hundreds and preventing planes from landing.

Israel described the convoys as 鈥渏ihadist protesters鈥 who aimed to endanger Israeli soldiers, and warned Egypt if it did not stop the march, Israel would.

The overland protest aimed to coincide with the Madleen, a British-flagged ship chartered by the , which the Israel military illegally intercepted in international waters to prevent aid reaching Gaza, detaining its crew.

Protests in several cities around Australia demanded Prime Minister Anthony Albanese apply more pressure to Israel, after it was joining Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom and was imposing of Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 cabinet ministers 鈥 national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, for 鈥渋ncit[ing] extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights鈥.

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Naarm/Melbourne. Photo: Jordan AK

鈥淭hese sanctions are not nearly enough,鈥 Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni told the Naarm/Melbourne rally on June 15, reports Chloe DS.

鈥淲e are dealing with a sick world that allows a sick country to bomb Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iran and Palestine.鈥

Other speakers聽included Palestine activist聽Hajar, Mary Merchenich, Menzies for Palestine and Socialist Alliance activist, and Harry Millward, unionist and secretary聽of the聽Renters and Housing Union.聽

A speaker from the Iranian聽community read out some of the names of people who had been killed, including friends he had lost, in Israel's recent attack on聽June 13. The sky around my parents聽apartment聽complex in聽Tehran, in the middle of a crowded civilian area "turned to fire", he told聽the rally.

"A missile fired by the criminal Israeli regime, with the full backing of America and its allies, tore through the building, where they live. The blast was so strong, it threw an eight-year-old girl and her mother out of their home. Their bodies have not been found."

Zayd, a 12-year-old from the Moroccan community and member of Naarm-based children's press conference for Palestine youth collective, directed his message at politicians and the media: "You've failed the children of Gaza, Palestine and all children across the world."聽

Thirteen-year-old Yusouf asked: "How many bombs need to be dropped, how many men, women and children need to be slaughtered ... how many homes, tents, shelters, hospitals need to be destroyed before the world finally says enough?

"If we live in a world where we can just abandon human rights, then what kind of future do we have?"

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Flag-waving rally for Palestine at Sydney Town Hall on June 15. Photo: Brian Mahony

Activists rallied on street corners holding Palestinian flags in the CBD, on Gadigal Country on June 15, to raise awareness about Israel鈥檚 genocide in Gaza and demand Labor sanction Israel.

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Hunger-strikers outside Sydney Town Hall on June 9. Photo: Jane Salmon

Earlier that week, pro-Palestine activists began a 48-hour hunger strike at Sydney Town Hall Square from June 9鈥11.聽Vivienne Moore, who participated in the strike, told 91自拍论坛: 鈥淲e need humanity to stand with us to stop the genocide in Gaza. The risk of famine in Gaza is increasing with the deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid, including food, in the ongoing blockade.鈥

Healthworkers for Palestine (HfP) begun a chain of hunger strikes for Palestine, starting June 14, to demand action from governments and health organisation to stop the genocide.聽 鈥淓veryday there will be a healthcare worker hunger striking in protest,鈥 HfP said. 鈥淲e must do everything we can for our colleagues, our brothers and sisters facing genocide in Palestine.鈥澛

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A protest against Maersk in Naarm/Melbourne. Photo: Jordan AK

Protests were held outside the offices of Danish shipping and logistics company Maersk on June 12 and 13 as part of the global 鈥淢ask Off Maersk鈥 campaign, which is demanding the corporation stop transporting weapons' parts to Israel, thereby becoming complicit in its genocide.

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Protesting Labor MP Peter Khalil in Naarm/Melbourne. Photo: Jacob Andrewartha

More than 200 people joined a rally was called outside Labor MP Peter Khalil's office in Naarm/Melbourne on June 13, organised by Merri-bek for Palestine and Students for Palestine. Protesters marched from Coburg to the Brunswick Town Hall across Sydney Road.

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Speakers at the Jewish Council of Australia forum discussing solidarity with Palestine, at Leichhardt Town Hall on June 15. Photo: Rachel Evans

Leichhardt Town Hall on Gadigal/Wangal Country was聽packed out for a forum on June 15, organised by the Jewish Council of Australia, to discuss how Jews can advocate and protest for Palestine. David Leser was the MC of a panel disucssion with human rights lawyer Sarah Schwartz, human rights lawyer Andrewa Durbach and journalist and author Antony Lowenstein.聽

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A forum on the Cuba's solidarity with Palestine was held in Gadigal Country/Sydney on June 14. Photo: Rachel Evans

Another forum to discuss Cuba鈥檚 history of solidarity with Palestine was held at the Resistance Centre on Gadigal Country/Sydney on June 14, organised by 91自拍论坛 and the Australia Cuba Friendship Society (ACFS). Presentations by Adam Mayer, ACFS national co-ordinator and organiser of the Southern Cross Brigade, and ACFS member Michael Hannah, discussed the historic links between Cuba and Palestine, as well as what Cuba is doing for Palestine today.

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"Sanctions Now!" banner above Melbourne Road. Photo: IPAN Geelong and Southwest Victoria

In solidarity with the Global March to Gaza, activists in Djilang/Geelong organised a banner drop on Melbourne Road, Corio on June 14. The banner said 鈥淪anction Israel鈥 and other signs said 鈥淭oot: End genocide鈥. It聽was organised by Independent and Peaceful Australia Network Geelong and Southwest Victoria.

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Well over 1000 rallied in Magan-djin/Brisbane on June 15
Well over 1000 rallied in Magan-djin/Brisbane on June 15. Photo: Alex Bainbridge

Well over 1000 rallied in Magan-djin/Brisbane on June 15 in the "Draw a red line against genocide" rally organised by Justice for Palestine Magan-djin, Alex Bainbridge reports. Activists were asked to wear red and giant strips of red fabric lined the march.

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Sit down in the Queen Street mall, Magan-djin/Brisbane
Sit down in the Queen Street mall, Magan-djin/Brisbane. Photo: Alex Bainbridge

The protest took a spontaneous turn into the Queen Street Mall 鈥 a small act of civil disobedience 鈥 which included a sit-down protest before returning to King George Square. Phil Monsour from Justice for Palestine told the crowd that we need to continue mobilising as the second anniverary of the beginning of Israel鈥檚 genocide approaches.

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The token sanctions of two Israeli ministers is too little, too late, protesters said
The token sanctions of two Israeli ministers is too little, too late, protesters said. Photo: Alex Bainbridge

As Israel launched military strikes on Iran, protesters said that the token sanctions of two Israeli ministers is 鈥渢oo little, too late鈥.

More photos can be found on the .

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End the genocide, Magan-djin/Brisbane, June 15
End the genocide, Magan-djin/Brisbane, June 15. Photo: Alex Bainbridge

Ciaran Toman reports that the rally in nipaluna/Hobart on June 14 drew one of the largest crowds since the beginning of the genocide. Protesters marched along the waterfront in red shirts representing "all the red lines that Israel has crossed in the past 600+ days".

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