Released 8^th March, 2024

The 24/7 picket outside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office in Marrickville marks its  27^th day of peaceful protest. It also marks the death of more than 30,800 Palestinians, including 12,000 children, and 72,198 wounded people. The United Nations has declared  that famine is imminent in Gaza, with the entire population at “crisis” levels of hunger or worse.  

Families for Palestine and constituents of Grayndler who have joined the picket over the past 27 days have not received any communication from the Prime Minister’s office regarding their protest or demands. After hundreds of e-mails, phone calls, letters, and visits to the office, the group and constituents have yet to receive any response from the office.  

The 24/7 picket has attracted over 1,000 individuals who have volunteered their time to protest the genocide in Gaza, Palestine and demand their Prime Minister to act.  

For the past 27 days, on average, 130 people have come through the picket every 24  hours—that is 3510 people! A lot of regulars show up week after week, and many new people join, bringing their families, friends and pets. The movement has received support from local businesses and people from near and far, including regional NSW, Tasmania and Queensland, who joined the picket while visiting Sydney.  

Families for Palestine’s weekly sit-in protest started on 16 November 2023 by a group of mothers and young children, all residents of Grayndler. Since then, no Thursday has gone by without protesting. The 24/7 picket was initiated on 11 February 2024 and has been going strong, gaining support from diverse groups and individuals putting their names on the picket roster.  

Numerous media outlets have covered the picket, including SBS, pedestrian TV, Green Left,  Mirage News, Honi Soit, and the Sydney Criminal Lawyers website. A few radio stations have also covered the picket and interviewed organisers. However, it is also disappointing that from over 300 media outlets contacted by Families for Palestine, including the public broadcaster ABC, only a handful have answered the call.

We acknowledge the courageous Birchgrove Legal, a Sydney-based law firm, for referring Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to the International Criminal Court as an accessory to genocide in Gaza, making him the first leader of a Western nation to be referred to the ICC under Article 15 of the Rome Statute.

On this International Women’s Day, we also acknowledge all women and girls whom the Israeli occupation has killed in Gaza and the rest of the Palestinian women who have been held hostage, abused, or injured by the same brutal occupation force for no crime but for being Palestinian.  

Families for Palestine and the constituents of Grayndler’s demands remain the same:  

• For a representative of the electorate of Grayndler to meet with protesters and hear our demands in person.  

• Urge Australia’s ally, Israel, to implement an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza (Palestine).  

• Reinstate funding to UNRWA to support humanitarian efforts in the region. 

• Urge Australia to stop referring to Israel as a “friend”, which is offensive to  Palestinian Australians whose families have been slaughtered by the Israeli army. 

• Urge Australia to hold Israel accountable for the crimes of genocide under  international law.  

• Provide immediate consular assistance to Gazans holding Australian visas.  • Cease supporting the Israeli genocide of Palestinians by cutting all ties, including  discontinuing arms and ammunition exports to Israel.  • Urge Australia to advocate to end the occupation of Palestine and for the right of  Palestinian people to return home.