Speakers at Franklin Square today included prominent Palawa lawyer Michael Mansell and TikTok star-turned-political candidate Jordan van den Lamb (aka purplepingers). The speaker list also included Cody Gangell (Palawa activist), Adel Yousif (Lecturer), Ayda Issa, and Kazi Sabbir (Tasmanian Muslim Association).
Tasmanian Palestinian Action Network (TPAN) and the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC) and Friends of Palestine Tasmania (FOPT are sponsors of the march.
Peta Fitzgibbon, President of Friends of Palestine, Tasmania said
“We are witnessing a genocide, the deliberate killing of women and children in their tens of thousands, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, and still we dither.
“What exactly has to happen before the Prime Minister takes effective action to stop the mass violence?
“Israel is at this very moment advancing plans to forcibly displace starving Gazans into impossibly small concentration zones.”
“Too much of what Prime Minister Albanese says has no impact on Netanyahu and his deliberate intention to force Palestinians from their land, which is nothing less than ethnic cleansing. We demand action, not just words.”
Fitzgibbon said the actions required include:
- an arms embargo, including on weapons components supplied to Israel by Australia
- a full trade embargo on Israel
- diplomatic and economic sanctions
- expelling the Israeli Ambassador from Australia
- fully supporting international mechanisms to hold Israeli officials accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
According to TPAN co-President Nadia Refaei, the ongoing demonstrations are a response to the “worsening genocide in Gaza” and a demand for Australian sanctions against Israel and an end to the two-way arms trade.
Documentary photographer Philip Bohle has compiled another photo essay. You can also find him on Instagram.
All images ©Philip Bohle 2025.
Philip Bohle is a documentary photographer with special interests in work, social change and activism. His images draw from a parallel career in research and practice mostly concerned with working conditions, disadvantaged workers and occupational health.
Tasmanian Times (TT) is a community-based news and current affairs service covering the island state of Tasmania. It exists to provide a diverse view of Tasmanian issues. TT creates and supports independent media content utilising the best of modern technologies and tried-and-true practices of public-interest journalism.
Support us in expanding our coverage and developing new content by and for Tasmanians.
New initiatives on the way include:
- a weekly podcast covering current affairs
- a revamped website
- a monthly cartoon competition
- a user-friendly app for both Android and Apple devices
- a weekly roundup of key stories
