Melbourne’s weekly pro-Palestinian protests to pause after Gaza ceasefire
Weekly pro-Palestinian protests in Melbourne will come to an end following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, organisers have announced.
In a social media post, the Free Palestine Coalition said the rallies, which have been held every Sunday outside the State Library of Victoria, would be paused.
“In this pause, we are giving out support to community who have arrived from Gaza and we will be announcing future actions as necessary, in response to the situation in Palestine,” the group said.
The news was reportedly welcomed by Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece, who earlier this week called for the protests to come to an end.
“If we can achieve peace in the Middle East surely we can have peace on the streets of Melbourne again,” Reece told The Age on Thursday.
“After two years of disruption, it is time for Melbourne to get some relief. Visitors can come to our city knowing they can enjoy our beautiful restaurants, galleries, theatres and shows without having to skirt a protest and deal with all the disruption that comes from that.”
For more than two years, weekly pro-Palestinian protests have been held across Australian cities.
About 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 taken hostage when Hamas launched an attack against Israel on October 7, 2023.
In response, Israel launched a military offensive against the militants in Gaza, which has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, including about 20,000 children, according to the United Nations.
