Background

Protests in Canberra organised by the Palestine Action Group Canberra, is where I really started taking protest photography. I saw it as a good opportunity to get practice in, but I was also drawn in by the emotion and passion held by the protestors.

While the protests have grown in scale over the years, many have been attending regularly to draw attention to the plight of Palestinians and the lack of action by those who represent the protestors on the worlds stage.

This protest was one week after the well-publicised Sydney Harbour Bridge protest which NSW Police had tried to stop with a high court case. The numbers at the Canberra protest on the 9th of August were significant despite the media’s lack of attention which was a sore point amongst supports. Supports would say that the media has a history of discounting them and would point to that as one of the reasons that the Australian media they say can’t be trusted.

On the ground, protestors ultimately want further action. Yes, there were the chants of “free, free Palestine”, but speakers are calling on supports to contact their local members to ask for more to be done. They want to see sanctions. They want to see Australian industries no longer having a role in the supply chain that supports the IDF. They want to see more than just recognition of Palestine, or words “urging” Israel.

The photos here among others taken at PAGC protests have been provided to the group.

Note, I am going to share some thoughts in regards to the lack of coverage of the proest in local media. Scroll to the end to see.