24 hours, honouring 17,000 Palestinian children taken too soon
As Parliament resumed last week, we did not stay silent.
For 24 hours, as part of the Voices for Gaza vigil, we read the names of over 17,000 Palestinian children killed by Israel’s relentless bombardment in Gaza. One by one, all day and night, we remembered them. Despite the freezing cold and rain, we did not stop or waver.
In an urgent call to conscience, Australian human rights activists, healthcare workers, writers, artists, humanitarians, actors and MPs joined together – alongside a powerful visual campaign across Canberra, from billboards to airport displays – with a clear message:
We need actions, not words from the Australian Government.
This is what thousands of supporters have made possible. A message that our elected leaders can’t ignore:
Every Palestinian child has a name, a family, a story. They should be dreaming of their future – not kept awake at night by the constant buzz of drones and bombardment. The 17,000 names we read had their lives taken too soon. Robbed of their life and childhood. Through this vigil, they live on in our hearts and memories.
We stood firmly in solidarity with courageous Palestinian, Jewish and other activists who came together to call for freedom, justice and equality. Together, we demanded urgent Australian action, so that no more futures are buried before they begin.
Alongside the vigil, with our partners at Médecins Sans Frontières, we met with politicians from across the political spectrum, calling for international law to be upheld and for the Australian Government to make that position clear.
Within days, and as a direct result of this lobbying and sustained presence:
- The government adopted a significantly firmer stance, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stating that Israel is “quite clearly” breaching international law by limiting aid deliveries into the besieged Gaza Strip.
- Australia signed a joint statement with 15 foreign ministers expressing an “unwavering commitment” to a two-state solution and inviting others to join.
- Senator Fatima Payman officially tabled in the Senate the list of 17,000 names of Palestinian children killed, which we delivered to Canberra, directly referencing Amnesty.
- Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong admitted for the first time that Australia is part of the F-35 supply chain, when questioned by Greens MP David Shoebridge. Meanwhile, MP Helen Haines raised urgent concerns in Parliament about the lack of transparency in Australian arms exports – both following our direct calls for accountability.
- Other parliamentarians, including from Labor, the Greens and Independents, also amplified our calls by raising these issues in both Houses or writing directly to the Foreign Minister.
People power made this possible
This is a testament to what collective activism and pressure can achieve.
It’s people power that made this possible – supporters from across all our movements who showed up in the fight for freedom, justice, and humanity of all Palestinians; Action Aid Australia, Caritas, ChildFund Australia, MAA International, Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Oxfam Australia, Plan International Australia, Save the Children Australia.
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally. We are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all – and we can only do it with your support.
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