COFFS Coast locals were among the more than 100,000 people who braved the weather to march across Sydney Harbour Bridge last Sunday, 3 August, to protest against the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The march, along with a rally of more than 25,000 people in Melbourne, was the culmination of protests around the country since the start of the Hamas-Israel conflict on 7 October 2023.
Brian Mahony, who has taken part in local protests, travelled from Coffs Harbour to join the crowd in Sydney.
“I was motivated to attend to make a contribution to stop the genocide, mass starvation and the ethnic cleansing of the people of Gaza, who have suffered extremely for the one year and eight months of this dreadful war,” he said.
“Distressing pictures of children and babies suffering horrendous injuries and death… influenced me to want to demonstrate.
“I was hoping to send a strong message to politicians to take more action in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.
“I enjoyed the march, despite the rain and wind at times, because I felt I was contributing to the cause.
“The size of the crowd was awesome, and [it was] uplifting to know so many people felt strongly.
“I would say to people that think it won’t make a difference is that strength is in the numbers and politicians are sensitive to numbers and will listen to the many rather than the few.
“I didn’t feel like I was just one more, but part of a crowd of concerned people with heart.”
Ann Leonard was another from the Coffs Coast who marched.
She said there was a diverse mix of families, youth and older generations… of every ethnicity, creed and colour.
“There was no luck in the fact this was a well behaved crowd.
“Congratulations to all concerned, including those marching, the organisers and the police.”
By Andrew VIVIAN
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They do not represent the coffs coast.
The whole protest was base’s on lies,propaganda and false information.
Those who attended continue to ignore what happened at the nova music festival,where women were raped and mutilated, the attack on the kibbutz where families were burned alive, the hostages taken both alive and bodies of those massacred and the hostages still held being ,the bodies of those murdered and those still alive being starved.
Too many are not applying critical thinking and gaining the facts.
Of course, Kerry we remember October 7 and the thousand or so that were killed. It was 2500, I don’t remember exactly. But that was one day and one kibbutz. Now we have up to 50,000 Palestinians killed, a dozen universities leveled, all of the hospitals destroyed, all of the housing for 2 million people destroyed. Show there they are, those 2 million people being starved to death, living (dying) in tents through summer and winter. “An eye for an eye” implies some proportionality, don’t you think?