By Daphne Anson
In Melbourne, “the world’s most livable city” (so it’s claimed), Palestinian flags fly from poles in the downtown area as well as being held by members of the large crowd marking “Palestinian National Day” on 15 November.
An eloquent image on a t-shirt in the crowd:
Is this what they mean by “Free Palestine” and comparable phrases, chalked by attendees, including quite young kids rigged out in keffiyehs, on a board provided for supportive messages and slogans?
In her speech, which amid whoops of delight heaped extravagant praise on BDS, poet and playwright Samah Sabawi, whose play City by the Sea was accepted for inclusion in the Victorian Certificate of Education curriculum earlier this year (a development broken by li’l ol’ Daphne here long before the press and Jewish communal big boys woke up to the fact), appeared to strike a martial note or two:
… [T]his flag we raise is not meant to represent Armani suits and Ramallah mansions
It is not meant for powerless ministries and cowardly leaders who have reduced the ceiling of our aspirations to breadcrumbs and begging bowls….
This here is our flag, the people’s flag,
This is the flag that wraps the countless coffins after the bombs fall,
This is the flag that dries the tears of mothers in hospital corridors,
This is the flag of the shahids, of the refugees, of the prisoners and the besieged….
The clouds have gathered over Palestine for so long,
The sky is pregnant with rage;
It is time for a downpour,
For there are not enough days left in the calendar for all the commemorations
Not enough minutes of silence for all our martyrs ….
That makes this earlier much-hyped but evidently not well attended event in Adelaide look positively child’s play:
Which indeed it seems to have been:
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