Attacks On Lebanon Condemned By 1000s In Sydney

Sydney (Syed Atiq ul Hassan, Foreign Correspondent, July 22, 2006): About a kilometre long march on the streets of downtown Sydney by Australian Muslims & other ethnic communities especially the Arab community echoed against the ongoing Israeli bombardment in Lebanon.

Young children, youth, women and men had been pouring into the downtown since early morning in the cold and rainy weather. There were more than 10,000 people already gathered around 12:30pm (AEST) at Town Hall, Sydney. The leaders from the Islamic communities, parliamentarians from the Muslim populated constituency, youth leaders, peace activists and ethnic & national media groups attended this remarkable demonstration. Mr. Laurie Ferguson, Labor leader and member parliament Laurie Ferguson; Mufti Taj Al-Hilali, leader of Islamic Community; Mr. Mamdouh Habib, former Guantanamo Bay detainee; many representatives from the Muslim Youth organisations, Muslim Women Association and Lebanese organisations were prominent.
Protesters carrying Australian & Lebanese flags, coffins and anti-war slogans and chanting against Israel marched from Town Hall to American Consulate office at Martin Place. This only being a kilometre journey took about one-hour due to packed mob on the famous George Street. Most of the slogans were anti-Israeli and anti-American.

When asked 6 years old Amna, holding a portrait of a wounded dead boy, why did she come to attend this demonstration, her reply was ‘to tell about Israeli killing of the Arab people’; and when asked why are Israelis killing Arab people, she said, ‘to take our home and land of Arab people’…Among the crowd many mothers came with their young children, Sharifa came with her two toddlers, pushing the babies’ stroller by one hand and distributing flyers with the other against the Israeli killings. When asked Sharifa, how she managed to come in this terribly cold and wet weather, she said, ‘I wish I could do more than this..’ our brothers and sisters are being killed every day by Israeli forces.. no one in the world to stop Israel instead they think Arabs as terrorists…’ .

Small children and youth wearing t-shirts with slogans ‘Lebanon & Gaza Israel’s holocaust’, ‘Israel stop killing civilians’ and so on.

The Rally reached the American Consulate Office, Martin Place, about 2.15pm and ended at 2.30pm peacefully.

ENDS

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