Palestine activists condemn Chris Minns’ dishonest attack on freedom of speech over ‘Globalise the Intifada’ forum

Stop the War on Palestine has condemned NSW Premier Chris Minns’ dishonesty and attack on free speech, as he called for our forum on the slogan ‘Globalise the Intifada’ to be denied a venue.

The forum is set to take place at 6pm next Tuesday 5 May at the East Sydney Community and Arts Centre.

Minns said the City of Sydney council should “deny the applicant use of the hall” in order to stop the forum. The council has refused to do so, citing its support for free speech.

A motion condemning the forum moved by Liberal councillor Lyndon Gannon at the City of Sydney council meeting on Tuesday night lapsed after failing to receive a seconder.

The Daily Telegraph has also wheeled out a parade of right-wing figures including Tony Abbott, Josh Frydenberg, Dawn Fraser and Nova Peris as well as NSW Liberal leader Kellie Sloane to condemn our forum.

“Chris Minns wants to ban the phrase and to stop our meeting opposing his anti-protest laws. This is all just part of his efforts to smear the Palestine movement”, said Adam Adelpour of Stop the War on Palestine.

“He is being helped by a right-wing campaign run by the Daily Telegraph and other media outlets.

“There is nothing violent or antisemitic about the call to ‘Globalise the Intifada’. It is a call for a global uprising in solidarity with the Palestinian people to end the complicity of governments worldwide in Israel’s policies of genocide and apartheid.

“It is the Australian government that is directly aiding Israel’s violence in Gaza and Lebanon through allowing the export of weapons parts and intelligence sharing from the Pine Gap spy base.”

Supporters of Israel have also attacked the council for allowing the hire of the venue. StandWithUs Australia, a pro-Israel group that helped organise Israeli soldiers to speak at university campuses last year, has told J-Wire it would attend the forum to “make our case”.

The organisation has also demanded an event this weekend at Coogee Beach supporting the flotilla to Gaza be stopped, dishonestly labelling it antisemitic.

The Globalise the Intifada forum has been called to oppose Minns’ efforts to ban the Palestine protest slogan, which follows arrests in Brisbane over a similar law that bans the phrase ‘From the River to the Sea’ as well.

Speakers at the forum will include Ed Carroll, a Jewish activist and Queensland Progressive Party leader who was arrested for using one of the banned slogans in Brisbane (via Zoom), Ahmed Ouf, Councillor, Cumberland City Council and Community Advocate and Sara Saleh, Writer, race critical human rights lawyer, and daughter of Palestinian, Lebanese, and Egyptian migrants.

It will take place at the East Sydney Community and Arts Centre, 34 Burton St, Darlinghurst at 6pm Tuesday 5 May.