Senator Lidia Thorpe has said she may be willing to ‘burn down’ parliament as pro-Palestine protests take place across the country.
Demonstrators have taken to the streets of Australia’s major cities days after Israel and Hamas agreed to a tentative ceasefire.
Free Palestine Melbourne has again taken to the steps of Melbourne’s State Library in the latest of their ongoing Sunday demonstrations.
Senator Lidia Thorpe was one of several speakers who addressed the crowd of thousands, reported to be of a ‘significant’ size.
‘So we stand with you every day, and we will fight every day, and we will turn up every day and if I have to burn down Parliament House to make a point… I am not there to make friends,’ she said, according to the Herald Sun.
‘I am there to get justice for our people and I am there to free Palestine from the river to the sea.’
The Independent Senator also cast doubts on the peace agreement reached between Israel and Hamas, taking special aim at the US President.
‘How can we trust Trump and these racist Nazis that continue to violate our lives, our babies, our women, our families, our land?’ she said.
Senator Lidia Thorpe has threatened to ‘burn down’ parliament amid nationwide pro-Palestine protests. She is pictured speaking to demonstrators in Melbourne in August
Pro-Palestine demonstrators have turned out nationwide despite a tentative peace agreement between Hamas and Israel. Protesters are pictured in Sydney
‘There will be no justice unless Palestine self determines their own destiny.’
It comes nearly a year after Ms Thorpe disrupted parliamentary proceedings, entering the press gallery viewing area of the Senate to yell pro-Palestinian slogans.
The Victorian representative had been suspended from the Senate a day earlier after she ripped up a motion by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson on the chamber floor.
The motion sought to have former Labor senator Fatima Payman, who was born in Afghanistan, investigated for an alleged section 44 citizenship issue.
Sunday’s marches come ahead of a peace summit in Egypt on Monday where the Gaza peace plan is expected to be signed. A ceasefire took place on Friday.
In Melbourne, police are escorting protesters through the crowded CBD towards the US consulate, the planned end-point of the march.
Meanwhile, demonstrations have sprung up far-and-wide including in Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart, Canberra and in the regions.
In Sydney, protesters gathered in Hyde Park before making their way down George Street towards Belmore Park.
Crowds heard from Australians who were detained by Israel after attempting to break its naval blockade of Gaza as part of the Sumud Flotilla.
Protesters turned out in the thousands despite Israel recently reaching a ceasefire with Hamas
Sydney protesters met in Hyde Park before making their way down George Street
Among them was Surya McEwen who was held in Israel’s Ketziot Prison before being deported back to Australia this week.
‘They wanted to scare us, they scuffed us up a bit, we experienced some violence, some sexual violence, some abuse,’ he said, according to the ABC.
Earlier plans to protest at the Opera House were scrapped by organisers after the NSW Supreme Court approved a police prohibition order citing safety risks.
NSW Police estimated about 8,000 protesters showed up to march from Hyde Park, well below the expected turn-out of 40,000.
Police said there were ‘no major incidents’ during the Sydney march but added a 30-year-old man had been arrested at the intersection of George and Liverpool Streets about 3.20pm after being found in possession of an ‘offensive implement’.
He will be taken to Surry Hills Police Station and charged.
In Brisbane, protesters are making their way from Queens Gardens into the CBD before returning to the gardens.
Meanwhile, protesters have gathered in Hobart for a planned march from the city’s waterfront area to the nearby Parliament Lawns.
Friends of Palestine WA confirmed the rallies would go ahead on Sunday, casting doubts on the longevity of the ceasefire agreement.
‘We do not trust Israel and we do not trust Donald Trump,’ it said.
‘Previous ceasefires were broken by Israel and the genocide has continued apace.’
More to come.
