More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and more than 175,000 injured, according to the Gaza health ministry. On Sunday, thousands of Australians turned those figures into a public demand: stop selling arms to Israel and work toward what they called “true peace” in Gaza and the West Bank.
Pro-Palestinian supporters rallied in capital cities and regional centres for the Global Day for Gaza. They marked lives lost during three years of Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza, launched after the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack. Organisers directed their demands at Canberra, urging the Australian government to end its arms trade with Israel.
Who Showed Up
In Hobart, hundreds marched along the waterfront, waving Palestinian flags, holding placards and chanting, “the West Bank will be free.” They began gathering at about 11am, then walked to the Tasmanian Parliament. Speakers there included Nala Mansell of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and Feras Shaheen of the Tasmanian Palestine Advocacy Network.
Shaheen urged protesters to step up their advocacy. He said new measures were needed to end the war in Gaza. “What else can you do in your spaces... there is still a lot to do,” he said.
About 100 people gathered at Civic Park in Newcastle, New South Wales. Among them was Lynn Benn, a Hunter Valley woman with the environmental group the Knitting Nannas. She said people had come because they were angry about conditions in Gaza. “Food supplies are restricted, critical medical supplies are restricted, and there are thousands and thousands of children in there,” she said.
Benn made no attempt to soften her view of the war’s length or of those watching from afar. “This has been going on for three years, which is horrendous. Standing back and letting this happen is appalling, and that's why we're here.” She said she wanted “true peace” in Gaza and the West Bank.
The Call to Government
Niko Leka, of Palestine Action Group Muloobinba, said he and other Novocastrians had protested the war for years. “Showing up here is another intervention, a peaceful intervention,” Dr Leka said.
His demands were direct and focused on policy. He called on the Australian government to follow international law. “No more arms trade with Israel, no more investment, stopping our relationships with their universities until they start obeying international law,” he said.
The Human Toll
The scale of displacement adds force to those demands. The United Nations estimated that 1.9 million people had been displaced. Benn’s mention of restricted food and medical supplies, along with thousands of children living in Gaza, cast the rallies as a response to civilian suffering, not a distant political dispute.
The gatherings stayed peaceful. They also kept going. Dr Leka said local protesters had turned out for years, while Shaheen told the Hobart crowd that the work isn’t finished.
Why This Matters:
The rallies show sustained public pressure on Canberra over an issue within its control: Australia’s trade and investment ties with Israel. Protesters grounded their demands in international law and civilian protection, rather than abstract politics. The figures behind the calls are stark. The Gaza health ministry reports more than 74,000 dead and 175,000 injured, while the UN estimates 1.9 million people displaced. For voters, the question is whether democratic governments will answer public calls to align arms trade and institutional ties with legal obligations. Rallies in Hobart, Newcastle and beyond suggest the issue hasn’t faded from Australian public life, even after three years of war.