As mass protests continue across Australia each weekend, opposing the unfolding Israeli genocide in Gaza, the official media continues to blackout the sentiments of ordinary people, while covering-up or legitimising the slaughter.
The WSWS is giving a voice to workers to speakout against the war crimes. Below are comments from working people and youth at protests on Sunday.
At the Sydney rally, Liam, a 23-year-old studying a Bachelor of Health, said: “What’s happening in Palestine is genocide. The Israeli government has advocated that for years in their media and on social media. I am not shocked at the US government’s complicity in the slaughter in Gaza. They have been carrying out wars for a long time now.
“I was shocked that the Australian Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is backing it. I am also shocked that the Israeli people, who have had a history of the Holocaust, could go along with it but I’m aware that many Israelis are protesting what’s happening in Gaza.
“The killing of children is never justified. You can’t punish a whole people; you can’t carry out collective punishment. I am here at this rally hoping for a ceasefire but I’m not optimistic. The best thing about what’s happening is that the Gaza war is getting a lot of public support, people are engaged and taking part in one of the biggest protests in my lifetime. People are actively speaking against this and this didn’t happen when the US carried out countless interventions into, for example, South America in the 70s and 80s.
“What you say about developing a mass movement in the working class to put an end to this war makes a lot of sense. The majority of people in the world are ordinary workers trying to get by, people are struggling more than ever while the richest 0.001 percent continue to break laws. It’s just disgusting what they do. It’s just a matter of finding a unifying issue that will connect the struggles of workers.”
In Melbourne, Kylee, an IT worker, said: “I’m here to support Palestine, to try and give a voice and body to try and stop genocide happening against an indigenous group of people.”
On the Australian government’s complicity in the Israeli genocide, she said: “I regret voting for Labor at the last election. The main reason I voted for them was to make sure that the Liberals weren’t in power at the time, but I’m not happy with what’s been happening in the past few years with Albanese and Penny Wong and all of them.”
Kylee added: “I see international support for Israel as based on the economic benefit that they get—oil, other resources from the Middle East. I do support socialism and the working class to oppose those in power, who are the rich and powerful, the bourgeoisie. Free Palestine!”
Carla, a social worker, said, “I think what’s happening is genocide and I think that the government needs to intervene. War crimes are being committed; it’s an atrocity and I just think it’s wrong to sit by and let it happen.”
Asked about the recent veto of a UN ceasefire resolution by the US, she said, “I was absolutely disgusted by that. They don’t seem to have much interest in supporting people’s human rights. They’re more interested in trade and the resources Israel have to give them.
“I’m equally disgusted by [the Australian government]. I’ve never really been a Labor voter, but I’ve always been slightly relieved when Labor got into power, compared to the Liberal Party. But now I’m just disgusted by the government overall.
“I didn’t anticipate that Australia would have that level of disregard for people’s lives. It’s kind of reshaped my view on political parties.”