Today on Let’s Talk – Social Justice, we’re bringing you the first of two shows following the Justice for Palestine – Meanjin movement that’s been growing in the city over the past six weeks. We’ll be sharing speeches from some of the recent protests and community events, digging into often overlooked elements of the struggle against Israeli occupation and the siege on Gaza.
In today’s episode, we’re looking in particular at the siege on Gaza through the lens of health and disability, echoing this week’s protest march on Sunday 19th November which invited health workers to stand in solidarity with their Palestinian siblings who are struggling to provide medical care in the midst of Israel’s relentless siege on hospitals, schools, ambulances, and homes.
We shine a light on the struggle of Palestinian health workers who are desperately trying to care for the roughly 30 000 Palestinians who are wounded, sick, or injured, and the many more who are suffering from dehydration, malnourishment and trauma. We begin with a speech from Palestinian organiser and academic Remah, who introduced the most recent rally on Sunday 19th November, before hearing from Let’s Talk host, Mununjahli and South Sea Islander Professor Chelsea Watego on the absence of solidarity from the medical establishment in so-called australia. Next we hear from medical student and community organiser Sophia, speaking on behalf of a coalition of medical students trying to force their universities and hospitals to stand in solidarity with Palestinian health workers. We then sit with the testimony of Palestinian cardiologist – Dr. Muntaser Musameh, who was one of the first 21 doctors trained in the West Bank after Israel’s occupation. Finally, we round out the show with the two speeches from Palestinian teenagers here in so-called brisbane: Year 8 student Dania, and Year 10 student Abdullah. Their voices offer a powerful reminder that over half of the people killed by Israel’s siege on Gaza are children, and they show us what it is to be brave in the face of unimaginable violence.
This is a huge, urgent, powerful show, shining a light on the scale of resistance happening right here in the city. If you have questions, or you want to get involved with the struggle, we’ve included some links to upcoming community events, including a public meeting on Wednesday 22nd November at 6pm at the TLC Building on Peel St. Come along to learn about the current struggle and how you can get involved.
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