6 August 2011 at the GPO – Hiroshima Day vigil and more

Women in Black and Japanese for Peace banners on steps of GPO

Representatives of Japanese for Peace and ICAN held a low-key vigil on the steps of the old GPO in Bourke Street, displaying banners and handing out flyers for the afternoon’s Peace Concert at the State Library and postcards relating to the Future Fund’s investments in the nuclear weapons industry (see The Age 26 May 2011; there is an article on the same subject in the current issue of Friends of the Earth’s Chain Reaction). They shared the venue with members of Women in Black also holding a vigil calling for peace in Palestine:

Women in Black banner on steps of GPO

The main event of the day was of course the concert, and the vigil was a very small affair, but a good many passers-by took the offered leaflets or at least had their attention caught by the banners and the traditional Japanese cranes:

Japanese for Peace banner

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Paper crane at foot of one of the pillars

One of the speakers listed for the Peace Concert was Felicity Hill of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom,and a WILPF banner can be seen attracting attention here:

WILPF banner on steps of GPO

And the message ‘No More Hiroshimas’ was displayed in more than one way:

Placard and t-shirt with 'No More Hiroshimas' message

More protests at Israeli aid flotilla attack – 5 June 2010

Banners at head of march in Melbourne

Saturday 5 June saw continuing worldwide protests over Israel’s attack on an aid convoy heading for Gaza (see e.g., The Age). There were protests in Sydney and Melbourne, reported on Melbourne Indymedia, where these photos were taken:

Religious leaders at head of march

Crowd at State Library

The protest started with a rally at the State Library

Another view of the crowd at the Library

Another view of the crowd at the Library

Banner at State Library

One of many banners

On the march to Parliament House:

Banner reads: Pull down the apartheid wall, dismantle Israeli settlements

Banner of LaTrobe University students

Banner of Anatolian Cultural Centre

The Greens in the march with their distinctive heart-shaped placards

The Greens in the march with their distinctive heart-shaped and triangular placards

Hand-shaped placard - Stop the Genocide

From the middle of the march, looking back down Bourke Street

From the middle of the march, looking back down Bourke Street

At Parliament House:

Crowd at Parliament House

Palestinian speaker at Parliament House

Palestinian speaker at Parliament House

Another view of the crowd at Parliament House

Model of boat with slogan Free Gaza, Free Palestine

At the end of the protest, this unusually elaborate 'prop'

Protest at Israeli attack on aid flotilla – 1 June 2010

Protest banners in Bourke Street mall at start of protest

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign called an emergency action in response to Israel’s lethal attack on peace activists on board a flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.  In spite of the extraordinarily short notice – scarcely 24 hours – as many as 1500 people assembled in the Bourke Street Mall to voice their anger and condemnation of Israel’s action. There was a long list of speakers, including Greens Senate candidate Adam Bandt and union leaders, representatives of the Turkish and other communities, as well as a strong anti-Zionist Jewish voice towards the end, when the protest had moved through the streets to the State Library. There is more about the rally on Melbourne Indymedia and video on YouTube:

(Also on EngageMedia)

Banner at head of march - "Shame Israel"