Greens senators have organized a mass walkout of Parliament to show solidarity with Palestine, describing the two main parties as “morally bankrupt” and “gutless cowards” on the issue.
The minority left-wing party has 11 seats in the Senate and has been demanding a ceasefire since Israel retaliated against Hamas’ brutal attacks on the Jewish state on October 7.
Some 1,400 Israelis and 9,770 Palestinians are believed to have died in the catastrophic violence.
On Monday, Senator Mehreen Faruqi criticized Labour’s response to the crisis, saying: “Weasel words are not going to stop war crimes.”
‘The Coalition is morally bankrupt when it comes to Palestine, and the Labor Party has proven itself to be cowardly and heartless.
On Monday, Senator Mehreen Faruqi criticized Labour’s response to the crisis, saying: “Weasel words are not going to stop war crimes.”
‘They are witnessing the massacre of thousands of Palestinians by Israel, they are not condemning Israel, they are refusing to call for an immediate ceasefire.
‘We’re not going to see them pat themselves on the back for doing nothing. “Today we take the people’s protest to parliament.”
He raised his fist and shouted “Free, free Palestine” before leading a walkout.
His colleague, outgoing Senator Janet Rice, held up a printed image of the Palestinian flag as she walked away.
Speaking after the strike, Senator Faruqi said Green politicians, like “millions of Australians”, were “shocked, horrified and angry at the massacre of innocent people in Gaza”.
The minority left-wing party has 11 seats in the Senate and has been demanding a ceasefire since Israel retaliated against the brutal Hamas attack on October 7.
His colleague, outgoing Senator Janet Rice, held up a printed image of the Palestinian flag as she walked away.
In the Senate, the Labor government requires the support of the Greens to pass bills that do not have bipartisan support.
The party has been steadfast in its support for Palestine, sparking outrage days after Hamas’ initial attack by refusing to back a motion supporting Israel’s right to defend itself in the House of Representatives.
Greens leader Adam Bandt was pictured alongside MPs Stephen Bates, Max Chandler-Mather and Elizabeth Watson-Brown, as all other MPs in the House of Representatives voted in favor of the motion.
Bandt attempted to add an amendment to accuse Israel of war crimes and declare the bombing of airstrikes and the imminent invasion of Gaza “not only a humanitarian catastrophe, but a war crime.”
Tasmanian independent MPs Andrew Wilkie and Sydney Teal, Kylea Tink and Sophie Scamps supported this amendment.