Globalise the Intifada meeting to go ahead despite City of Sydney cancelling venue

Stop the War on Palestine has condemned the City of Sydney’s last minute decision to cancel the booking for its forum on the protest slogan “Globalise the Intifada”. The meeting will now go ahead in a nearby park.

The event will be held tomorrow Tuesday 5 May, 6pm, at Charles Kernan Reserve, 296 Abercrombie St, Darlington, close to the previously advertised venue.

Clover Moore posted on social media earlier this evening, the day before the event, to say that the booking in a City of Sydney-owned venue had been withdrawn.

“We reject the implication from Clover Moore that our meeting risks public safety and respect for members of the community,” Adam Adelpour, spokesperson for Stop the War on Palestine, said.

“It is the Murdoch media that has been spreading fear and lies about the forum and about the slogan ‘Globalise the Intifada’.

“The slogan, and other chants including the word ‘Intifada’, have been common at demonstrations for Palestine. But there is nothing violent or antisemitic about these demonstrations.

“The Murdoch media cannot be allowed to determine the limits of free speech, what protest slogans mean or what public meetings can be held. The City of Sydney has shamefully given in to their campaign of slander and lies”, Adam said.

“The Queensland government has banned the phrase, and has been met with defiance. Following the LNP in Queensland, Chris Minns wants to ban the phrase ‘Globalise the Intifada’ because he says it is hateful and violent. But this is a baseless smear against the Palestine solidarity movement.

“It is not a call for violence—it is a call to end the violence of Israel’s occupation and genocide.”

Intifada is an Arabic word that means ‘uprising’ or ‘throwing off oppression’. It was used to describe the two mass Palestinian uprisings against Israel’s illegal military occupation, the First Intifada from 1987 and the Second Intifada from 2000, and symbolises the Palestinian struggle for justice in the face of genocide and apartheid.

“Supporters of Israel may feel uncomfortable about the scale of the opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza—which was shown when hundreds of thousands marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. But it is simply dishonest to claim that these protests or the slogans on them pose a danger to the community or put anyone’s safety at risk,” Adam said.

“Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues. It has failed to allow in agreed levels of aid and continues to ban items including desperately needed tents, medicines, and medical supplies. Activists on the Sumud Flotilla trying to deliver aid have just been blocked from arriving, beaten and arrested.

“Another 831 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed during the so-called ceasefire since October last year, with deaths almost every day.

“We will not be deterred by Clover Moore’s ban. We will continue building a movement here to ‘Globalise the Intifada’: this means demanding an end to the complicity of the Australian government, through allowing weapons exports and intelligence from Pine Gap that are aiding Israel’s genocide and wars.”

Contact Adam Adelpour on 0400 351 694.