Students are planning a walkout from schools to march in support of Palestine this week, as frustrations rise over the ongoing Israeli occupation of Gaza.
Students in Melbourne are planning to walk out of schools at 12.30pm on Thursday to head to the city for a rally at Flinders Street station in a “School Strike For Palestine”.
The event was shared to Facebook by Free Palestine Melbourne, who are also encouraging people to come to its hub in Brunswick to collect posters and flyers. The event is not related to Friday’s school climate strikes.
Speaking to The Age, a student involved with the rally said that the strike was being promoted by students in a number of schools including Princes Hill, Fitzroy High, Brunswick Secondary and Thornbury High.
“We’ve been inspired by school walkouts in the US and UK, and we want to make our voices heard. It’s important to show that there are millions who stand with Palestine,” the student, who was not named by the publication, said.
“Not all school principals have been happy to see us organising a walkout, but we’ve been getting some pretty incredible support from teachers and parents.”
It comes after more than 100,000 people marched through Melbourne’s streets on Sunday calling for a free Palestine and an end to the hostilities. It was the largest Australian rally since the Iraq war, and organisers say they will march every week until their demands are met.
“This mass movement is growing thanks to every one of you who pushes through the dominant warmongering anti-Palestinian narrative and tells the truth of Israel’s genocide,” Free Palestine Melbourne wrote in a message written on Facebook.
“The Australian Government is ignoring the will of the people and it will feel this at the next election.”
Victorian schools will be operating to their normal schedule on Thursday. Victorian Shadow Minister for Education Jess Wilson and Federal Shadow Education Minister Sarah Henderson have urged governments to make it clear to schools and students that attendance at the rally would not be an approved absence.
They have also asked governments to condemn the event.
However, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan refused to do so, saying attending rallies is a “fundamental principle of our democracy”.
She said it would be ultimately up to schools to monitor attendance and decide how to respond. The Greens have agreed and have urged ministers to retract their comments .
“The right to protest is an essential part of living in a democracy,” said Greens Senator Penny Allman-Payne in a statement.
“We should find it heartening that this generation of schoolkids is prepared to join millions around the world in exercising that right over such fundamentally important issues.
“If the government wants kids to stay in the classroom, the solution is simple: do your job.”
At least 11,180 Palestinian’s have been killed in Gaza since October 7, as have about 1,200 Israelis. The Albanese government has called for humanitarian pauses, but protestors want a ceasefire.
Free Palestine Melbourne was approached for comment.
