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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Kathryn Lewis

'Calling for justice': Palestine rally draws hundreds to Parliament House

Hundreds of people attending a rally for Palestine on the lawns of Parliament House. Picture: Dion Georgopoulos

Hundreds of people gathered on the lawns of Parliament House on Sunday calling for the Morrison government to take decisive action against Israel following 11 days of bloodshed.

Protesters carried signs calling for an end to "ethnic cleansing" while crying out for a "fair go for Palestine" and urging support for a two-state solution to the war and and end to Prime Minister Scott Morrison's "unacceptable bias".

Mariam E travelled to the nation's capital from Sydney to join the cries for the Australian government to act against Israel and recognise Palestine as a sovereign nation.

The young Palestinian said after "70 years of the same situation" their voices were finally being heard.

"The diversity is so hopeful, it's no longer just fellow Arabs and Muslims," she said.

"The power of social media means our voices are finally being heard."

Mariam at the rally in Canberra on Sunday. Picture: Dion Georgopoulos

A ceasefire is holding in Gaza after Israel and Hamas agreed to pause 11 days of bloodshed that's so far killed about 250 Palestinians, including 66 children, and 12 Israeli civilians and a soldier.

Hundreds have also been wounded on both sides after after Israeli forces tried to forcibly evict Palestinians from their homes in the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah and stormed the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

The violence has prompted protesters to take to the streets across Australia's capital cities.

Up to 15,000 people are believed to have attended rallies in Sydney and Melbourne on Saturday.

About 500 people stood before Parliament House calling for the federal government to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state and apply diplomatic pressure on Israel to end the conflict.

"We are calling for justice .... in Gaza people are losing their loved ones and it's happening every day," Imam Hamzah of Gungahlin Mosque said to the impassioned crowd.

"I ask the Morrison government and the media - are you doing enough to uphold justice and trying to ensure humanity prevails, aren't these the Australian values we are proud of?"

Hundreds attended a rally for Palestine on the lawns of Paliament House on Sunday. Pictures: Picture: Dion Georgopoulos

Anas Iqtait, an Australian National University research fellow at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies also spoke at the event.

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"We stand here today in support of Palestinians, Palestinians in the West Bank, Palestinians in East Jerusalem and West Jerusalem and all Jerusalem, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip," he said.

"Palestinians live under complete military domination in every facet of their lives, Palestinians cannot move from one place to another without having to navigate an extremely rigid system of control."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said Israel has the right to defend itself and its people but also that Palestinians must be able to live safely.

"As a government, we believe in a two-state solution," he said earlier this month.

Rally organiser Emad Soliman said politicians from across the spectrum were invited to speak at the event but none could attend.

He hoped to meet with politicians from both the Coalition and Labor next week.

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