The movement in solidarity with Palestine in Western Australia is continuing to grow and diversify despite repression and censorship.
Over June 6-8, Unionists for Palestine hosted 鈥淕aza Remains the Story鈥,聽an exhibition of artworks curated by The Palestinian Museum, which explores the cause and context of the Palestinian experience, focusing on the land, places and people of Gaza.
Protests on the streets聽has intensified as well, with three pickets in June outside the United States Consulate, in addition to the fortnightly city rallies.
It has also spread geographically, with a weekly Wednesday vigil in Goomburrup/Bunbury happening at the same time as the one in Wooditchup/Margaret River.
Another breakthrough came when the State Council of the State School Teachers Union WA adopted a series of motions in support of action in solidarity with Palestine. This will amplify Palestinian voices in teaching programs and refuse school programs funded by companies complicit in genocide.
A number of the resolutions passed unanimously. The conference also endorsed a recent
However, institutional efforts to stifle聽discussion and organising against the Gaza genocide have not abated.
The University of Western Australia (UWA) management is pushing back with an unprecedented push to squash free speech. It advised the Students for Palestine club, in an email,聽鈥淚f your club makes a particular statement 鈥 then the fact that statement may be objectively true does not mean that your club鈥檚 use of that statement will not breach UWA policy.鈥
Students can now face disciplinary action for gathering signatures on petitions, setting up stalls, announcing political events in classes or protesting anywhere outside the tiny Guild Precinct on campus. One student was even disciplined for putting up posters about this attack on free speech.
With students聽gagged from even speaking about the restriction on their own campus grounds, members of Jews for Palestine WA, Healthcare Workers for Palestine, Teachers for Palestine, Unionists for Palestine and Academic for Palestine carried out聽a 聽challenging the crackdown on June 10 outside the university鈥檚 iconic Winthrop Hall.
WA police disrupted the regular聽and peaceful city protest organised by Friends of Palestine WA on June 29 by forcibly removing a participant wearing a T-shirt with an inverted red triangle. The symbol is taken from the聽Palestinian flag and is viewed by many to indicate support for the Palestinian right to armed resistance.
Display of the symbol is not illegal in WA, but police threatened聽to arrest the activist for 鈥渋nciting racial hatred鈥. He was later released with a move-on notice.
Dr Victoria Mason, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Murdoch University, whose speech to the pro-Palestine rally had been interrupted by the arrest, explained that under international law Israel is a 鈥渂elligerent occupier鈥 and, as such, Palestinians have the moral and legal right to resist the illegal occupation, including by force of arms.