Upcoming Events
'NAZA' documentary screenings at Tower Cinemas
The critically-acclaimed documentary ‘NAZA’, will be screening at Tower Cinemas Newcastle, with sessions from Thursday 15th Oct to Monday 2nd Nov.
Shot at night on the rooftops of Tel Aviv, NAZA reveals in detail the systems behind Israel’s calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Write to your local councillors to ask them not to attend 'CAM' local government summit
On the 26th and 27th of November Waverley Council will co-host a ‘local government summit’ with the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM).
For those who aren't aware of CAM, it is a global organisation which operates in 40 countries. It has headquarters in the US but has very close ties to Israel. One of its aims is to introduce the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and implant it in all levels of government, policing, law, education and health. Its aim at its local government conferences is to impose the IHRA definition across communities at a grassroots level. The IHRA definition can be misused to conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) is urging us to contact our local councillors and ask them not to attend this event.
To make it easy, APAN has provided a template you can use, including links the recipient can access for more information on CAM, the event itself, and why an organisation attached to genocidal state is problematic.
Use the councillor email addresses and template below on this page to send your email today!
Please copy and paste (or download the PDF) letter template, and send to your local councillors in opposition to their attendance or support of the ‘Local Government Summit Against Antisemitism and for Social Cohesion.’
HUNTER REGION COUNCILLORS’ EMAILS:
Newcastle Councillors:
lordmayoroffice@ncc.nsw.gov.au, dclausen@ncc.nsw.gov.au, cmccabe@ncc.nsw.gov.au, pgittins@ncc.nsw.gov.au, pajohnson@ncc.nsw.gov.au, jebarrie@ncc.nsw.gov.au, jpringle@ncc.nsw.gov.au, pwinneybaartz@ncc.nsw.gov.au, mbrooker@ncc.nsw.gov.au, sisherwood@ncc.nsw.gov.au, eadamczyk@ncc.nsw.gov.au, cpull@ncc.nsw.gov.au, drichardson@ncc.nsw.gov.au
Lake Macquarie Councillors:
ashultz@lakemac.nsw.gov.au, kwarner@lakemac.nsw.gov.au, badamthwaite@lakemac.nsw.gov.au, jantcliff@lakemac.nsw.gov.au, cgrigg@lakemac.nsw.gov.au, kconroy@lakemac.nsw.gov.au, cbuckley@lakemac.nsw.gov.au, mschultz@lakemac.nsw.gov.au, sradcliffe@lakemac.nsw.gov.au, michaelhannah@lakemac.nsw.gov.au, mbishop@lakemac.nsw.gov.au, jpauling@lakemac.nsw.gov.au, aswinsburg@lakemac.nsw.gov.au
Port Stephens Councillors:
mayor@portstephens.nsw.gov.au, giacomo.arnott@portstephens.nsw.gov.au, peter.francis@portstephens.nsw.gov.au, paul.lemottee@portstephens.nsw.gov.au, rosalyn.armstrong@portstephens.nsw.gov.au, nathan.errington@portstephens.nsw.gov.au, mark.watson@portstephens.nsw.gov.au, jason.wells@portstephens.nsw.gov.au, chris.doohan@portstephens.nsw.gov.au, ben.niland@portstephens.nsw.gov.au
Maitland Councillors:
mayor@maitland.nsw.gov.au, mike.yarrington@maitland.nsw.gov.au, amelia.atkinson@maitland.nsw.gov.au, race.barstow@maitland.nsw.gov.au, don.ferris@maitland.nsw.gov.au, kristy.flannery@maitland.nsw.gov.au, mitchell.griffin@maitland.nsw.gov.au, bill.hackney@maitland.nsw.gov.au, sally.halliday@maitland.nsw.gov.au, ken.jordan@maitland.nsw.gov.au, warrick.penfold@maitland.nsw.gov.au, ben.whiting@maitland.nsw.gov.au, ben.worth@maitland.nsw.gov.au
Cessnock Councillors:
daniel.watton@cessnock.nsw.gov.au, jessica.jurd@cessnock.nsw.gov.au, tracey.harrington@cessnock.nsw.gov.au, james.hawkins@cessnock.nsw.gov.au, sarah.pascoe@cessnock.nsw.gov.au, quintin.king@cessnock.nsw.gov.au, Fatmata.Bangura@cessnock.nsw.gov.au, sophie.palmowski@cessnock.nsw.gov.au, jack.franklin@cessnock.nsw.gov.au, mitchell.lea@cessnock.nsw.gov.au, mitchell.hill@cessnock.nsw.gov.au, susanne.dixon@cessnock.nsw.gov.au, deborah.dunne@cessnock.nsw.gov.au
EMAIL TEMPLATE
Originally published by APAN
DIRECT LINK TO PDF OF EMAIL TEMPLATE
PLAIN TEXT OF EMAIL TEMPLATE (don’t forget to sign your name at the end!):
To: Local Councillors, Mayors
Subject: Letter to councillors regarding the Local Government Summit Against Antisemitism and for Social Cohesion – Nov 26-27, 2026
Dear Councillors,
I am writing to highlight our concerns regarding the forthcoming Local Government Summit Against Antisemitism and for Social Cohesion which is an event organised by the global lobby group, the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), its Australian partners and this year, co-hosted with Waverly Council.
CAM is a global organisation which operates in 40 countries. It has headquarters in the US but has very close ties to Israel. One of its aims is to introduce the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and implant it in all levels of government, policing, law, education and health. Its aim at its local government conferences is to impose the IHRA definition across communities at a grassroots level.
This definition is controversial and has been criticised and opposed by civil rights groups, legal scholars, Holocaust experts and academics (including lead IHRA drafter Kenneth Stern) who argue that its Israel-related examples can be misused to conflate legitimate political speech or criticism of Israeli government policies with antisemitism.
This conflation has been used to create false statistics disseminated by key speakers at this Summit, about the level of antisemitism in NSW. These figures were disputed by the NSW Police under oath in the NSW Antisemitism Inquiry last year when more than half of the incidents reported as antisemitic via Operation Shelter were not classified as hate crimes.
We have seen the IHRA definition and false claims of antisemitism used to target many individuals and organisations in the last three years who have publicly supported Palestinian rights and condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza – actions which are denied by CAM and Israel lobbyists, although they have been classified as genocide by key UN bodies as well as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Association of Genocide Scholars. We have seen numerous examples of Individuals throughout NSW and Australia who have been falsely accused of antisemitism and had their careers or their funding seriously impacted.
CAM has catalogued a set of symbols it associates with antisemitism. In the brochure delivered to its first Australian summit in 2025, it noted that wearing the Palestinian cultural scarf, the keffiyeh or displaying the watermelon is considered threatening to Jewish people and needed to be strictly monitored. Nasser Mashni, president of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, said the pamphlet was evidence that the summit’s attendees were “being spoon-fed white supremacist and racist disinformation to carry back into their communities.”
The Antisemitism Envoy, Jillian Segal who is supporting and addressing this conference, has produced a plan which she and organisations like CAM want to see imposed on all aspects of our civil life. These guidelines weaponise the IHRA definition as noted above, and have already been used to stifle free speech and public debate in this country. For these reasons, the ABC and SBS and other key organisations have declined to formally adopt the IHRA definition.
Recently, NSW Supreme Court Justice Fagan rejected the IHRA definition of antisemitism describing it as an attempt to “repurpose” the term to encompass racism against Jews and criticism of Israel. He stated that it was, “detached from the reality of the common usage and understanding of antisemitism in this country”. Referring to the Pew Research Centre poll from June this year which found that 79% of Australians had an unfavourable view of Israel, Justice Fagan said “it would be preposterous to suggest that 79% of Australians are antisemitic because they disapprove of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians”. Yet, this is precisely the aim of the CAM Summit which will focus on persuading local Councils to enforce the IHRA definition in all Council activities.
CAM was founded in 2019 by Republican donor Adam Beren, an oil magnate from Kansas whose family has contributed millions to pro-Trump causes. In 2025, CAM honoured Congressman Randy Fine with a baseball bat dubbed “The Hebrew Hammer”. Fine is a Florida representative who has stirred controversy with his genocidal rhetoric toward Gazans and his blatant Islamophobia, including calls for the streets of Gaza to “overflow with blood”, tweeting “Gaza must be destroyed” and telling Gazans to “just starve”.
CAM’s direct and strong links with the State of Israel raises many questions especially as Israel is accused of commiting a Genocide in Gaza at the International Court of Justice by South Africa and its current prime minister and former defense minister are under arrest warrants for war crimes at the International Criminal Court.
Sacha Roytmann, the CEO of CAM Global was previously head of social media for the Israel Defence Forces and lives in Tel Aviv. Yigal Nissel who is currently head of CAM in Australia has a long history of promoting Israel through the Jewish National Fund and also as the CEO of Mosaic United, an initiative set up by Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism. And the CAM Chair of the International Board is Natan Sharamsy, who was previously the deputy Prime Minister of Israel and worked for both the Jewish National Fund and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
CAM’s summit in the Gold Coast last year featured Pastor Sue Baynes who works in the office of the Mayor of the Gold Coast and is a supporter of the Seven Mountains Mandate, an evangelical Christian movement from the United states. She was also a former candidate for the conservative Family First Party that opposed same-sex marriage. Other speakers included Nova Peris who has a history of sharing Islamophobic social media posts which express stridently anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian views — including one describing Muslims as “Satan worshipping cockroaches [that] need to be eradicated”.
This year’s speakers include Alex Ryvchin,Co-CEO, Executive Council of Australian Jewry who has been outspoken in his attacks on peaceful pro Palestine protests and a long time supporter of Israel.
We believe attending the CAM Summit will give support to the highly problematic claims and ulterior aims of CAM worldwide and therefore call on councillors to avoid being misled into participating in this Summit.
This event is billed as supporting social cohesion and inclusion and fighting antisemitism but in reality it is part of an internationally well funded campaign to shut down criticism of Israel and sow division in our community by wrongly labelling those who criticise Israel as antisemitic.
Thank you for considering the serious issues raised in this letter.
If you would like further information about this organisation and the way it operates, I have included some links below.
Yours sincerely,
[Name]
Further Information:
Combat Antisemitism Movement keeps slaying social cohesion
[https://michaelwest.com.au/combat-antisemitism-movement-attacks-social-cohesion/]
Point of Order. Antisemitism Summit raises ethics eyebrows
[https://michaelwest.com.au/point-of-order-antisemitism-summit-raises-ethics-eyebrows/ ]
Watermelons deemed an antisemitic symbol at pro-Israel mayoral summit
[https://www.deepcutnews.com/p/watermelons-deemed-an-antisemitic]
'American Doctor' documentary screenings at Tower Cinemas
Directed by Poh Si Teng
Across late 2024 and early 2025, three doctors from the United States – Jewish orthopaedic surgeon Mark Perlmutter, Zoroastrian trauma surgeon Feroze Sidhwa and Palestinian emergency doctor Thaer Ahmad – worked in hospitals in the Gaza Strip trying to save some of the many lives being destroyed by the US-backed Israeli Defence Forces. Back home in North America, they attempt to reconcile these experiences with their day-to-day lives, as they also strive to raise awareness in the face of a world that would much prefer to look away.
The feature-length directorial debut of journalist and producer Poh Si Teng, American Doctor provides an unflinching exposé of the consequences of war as experienced by physicians: the suffering they encountered; the personal danger; the physical and emotional toll. In this challenging but compelling and essential documentary, the three men’s vastly different personalities bring into sharp focus the inequalities of privilege even among professional equals, reinforcing the urgency of their shared call for a more just world.
“First and foremost a humanitarian story … What makes American Doctor so powerful is the way it reveals the shared humanity of physicians and patients in the face of death.” – The Hollywood Reporter
Witness.
Witness.
Come together for an evening of solidarity with the Palestinian Olive Harvest this year.
For any farmer, harvest is a time of prosperity and joy, but for Palestinian farmers, this event is marred with israeli settlers violence, IOF complicity and destruction of their beloved crops. Hear from our solidarity community member their first-hand experience of their time in West Bank during the olive harvest and witness with us the injustices indigenous Palestinians face to cultivate their own land.
Ticket sales go towards raising funds for First Nations led organisations here and Faz3a - a Palestinian led non-violent action group that protects farmers in the West Bank and cultivates International Solidarity. Faz3a (فزعة) means rushing to a neighbour's aid in a moment of danger — a deep-rooted Palestinian tradition of communities coming together against an outside threat.
Our MC for the night will be Ahmed Abadla.
Performances by Urthboy, Byron Williams, and Jayden Kitchener-Waters.
Refreshments will be provided.
Newcastle Mums for Palestine will have a fundraising stall.
Accessibility:
Flat level gravel and concrete ground.
Accessible bathroom.
Please contact Melissa on 0466 266 848 with any accessibility requirements.
Organised by Conversations for Palestine
3 Years of Genocide - Global Day for Gaza
Global Day for Gaza demonstration in Newcastle
🗓️ 11 October
🕚 11am
📍 Civic Park
We are mobilising because Israel’s systematic genocide against the Palestinian people has not stopped for the last three years and has not slowed. Hollow international statements have not protected Palestinian life. A so-called ceasefire has not ended daily killing. Collective public action is therefore being advanced not as gesture, but as intervention.
Peaceful family event. Bring a blanket, enjoy the sunshine.
Speakers include:
Joanne mother of one of the Sumud participants;
Cam, First Nations;
Jeanette performing Michale Rosen poem ‘Don’t Mention the Children’;
Fish from the anti-Astra AeroLab campaign;
Alan singing an old blues ‘None of Us Are Free’;
Lucy Miller Greens State candidate and possibly Amanda Cohn who'll talk about IHRA;
Niko singing ‘Imagine Tomorrow with Zionism Gone’;
and Farooq to wrap up.
Ali from Food Not Bombs has created some lovely biscuits, there will be stalls, info to take away, and a contact list of you want to be involved in the longer-term campaign.
ACCESSIBILITY: This will be a stationary event. Public toilets are available at Civic Park.
FILM SCREENING: All That's Left of You
Tower Cinemas Newcastle on Sat, the 30th of May. Q&A with director Naser Shakhtour after the screening.
A Palestinian couple finds hope and courage in the midst of relentless struggle as they face an extraordinary life decision that will change their family's destiny.
DOCUMENTARY SCREENING: Until the Sky Falls Quiet
We are incredibly excited to be collaborating with @untiltheskyfallsquiet.film and @newcastlemumsforpalestine to bring the screening of this important film to Muloobinba.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A panel comprised of the two doctors in the film Dr Siraj Sira (General Practitioner) and Dr Sanjay Adusumilli (General and Colorectal Surgeon). Joining them, will be Dr Saira Hussain (Anaesthetist). All three have spent time as medics in Gaza during the ongoing genocide.
Join us at 2pm (come from 1:30pm to check out the fundraising stalls) to see the film and be a part of a conversation afterwards. Ahmed Abadla, from @palestine.justice.movement , is joining us again to moderate this discussion and the speakers will answer audience questions about the realities of working in a genocide, where hospitals are bombed and supplies are scarce.
🎤 post-screening Q&A panel
🍉 Fundraising table on the night
🎟️ ticket link: https://www.fivestarcinemas.com.au/newcastle/movie/until-the-sky-falls-quiet
Organised by Conversations for Palestine and Newcastle Mums for Palestine
Vigil for the Global Sumud Flotilla
Meet 5:30 p.m. Wednesday 20th May corner of Hunter Street and Auckland Street
Israel has broken international law again to stop aid from reaching Gaza. They have kidnapped all 11 Australian crew along with over 300 other humanitarians from all over the world.
Nakba Day Vigil - Sunday 17th
Join community on Sunday 17 May 10am at Civic Park Muloobinba 🕊️
Wear the blue of the Palestinian sunbird and gather in vigil with a community of principled citizens to commemorate the anniversary of the Nakba, pay tribute to its survivors, and stand together against all forms of racial supremacy.
Organised by Newcastle Mums for Palestine
Nakba Day Vigil - Friday 15th
Join Ola and Joseph, descendants of Nakba survivors, this Friday at 8am in Civic Park, Newcastle.
Following the vigil, join us to silently protest outside Sharon Claydon's office (9-10am).
Join us this Friday for a peaceful gathering to remember the Nakba and honour the lives, history, and resilience of the Palestinian people.
Stand with us to remember Palestinian solidarity, and the call for justice and human dignity.
انضموا إلى علا وجوزيف، أحفاد الناجين من النكبة، يوم الجمعة الساعة ٨ صباحًا في حديقة سيفيك بارك، نيوكاسل.
بعد وقفة الحداد، انضموا إلينا في وقفة احتجاجية صامتة أمام مكتب شارون كلايدون (من الساعة ٩ إلى ١٠ صباحًا).
انضموا إلينا هذا الجمعة في تجمع سلمي لإحياء ذكرى النكبة وتكريم أرواح وتاريخ وصمود الشعب الفلسطيني.
قفوا معنا في الذكرى والتضامن والمطالبة بالعدالة والكرامة الإنسانية
Organised by Palestine Action Group Muloobinba
Art of Solidarity: A half century with Palestine - Artist's talk & exhibition
Recent works by Majed Badra with a selection of historical Palestine solidarity posters.
The exhibition will be open 10.00am to 4.00pm, Tuesday May 12 to Saturday May 16.
Newcastle Resistance Centre
First Floor, 472 Hunter St
Newcastle NSW 2300
Australia
Majed will discuss his works on show on Saturday May 16, 4.30pm.
Commemorating the 78th anniversary of Nakba, the 1948 "Catastrophe".
Majed Badra is a filmmaker, editor, and visual storyteller with a multidisciplinary background in Illustration, Comics; Narrative Practice, and Creative Writing. His training in sequential art deeply informs his cinematic approach—shaping the way he constructs scenes, designs visual rhythm, and builds emotionally resonant narratives. Before moving into filmmaking, Majed worked extensively across illustration, comics, cartoons, and graphic design, developing a strong visual foundation that now supports his work behind the camera. His documentary Gaza Nippers: Hope Amid Devastation has been screened across universities, cultural institutions, community organisations, and the NSW Parliament House Theatrette, earning recognition from scholars, journalists, and community leaders for its peace-journalism sensibility and human-centred storytelling.
More info: 4926 5328 or 0490 122 377
Organised by Newcastle Socialists
Paddle Out for Gaza & the Sumud Flotilla: Newcastle
Join us to paddle on Newcastle Harbour in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla and the people of Gaza.
Rising Tide’s own Zack Schofield will be sailing with the Sumud Flotilla towards Gaza at this time, alongside 15 other Australians and thousands of others from over 100 countries, carrying vital aid — including food, baby formula, and medical supplies. We will gather in solidarity here on Awabakal and Worimi land and water.
LOCATION: Horseshoe Beach, Newcastle
DATE: Sunday, May 3rd
TIME: 12pm - 3pm
Rising Tide is proud to support Zack and the Sumud Flotilla. Our fight for climate justice is inseparable from the fight against war, occupation, and all systems that put profit before human life and planetary survival.
BYO vessel or borrow one of our inflatable kayaks.
Bring Palestine flags and placards of solidarity.
A vegan BBQ lunch will be available by donation.
RUNSHEET FOR THE DAY:
12PM: gather at Horseshoe Beach, inflate kayaks and prepare to launch
12:30PM: short speeches & safety instructions
12:45PM: launch the Solidarity Flotilla
1PM: gather for photos on the water
1:45PM: flotilla ends
Grab a veggie sausage whenever you’re hungry!
~2PM: everyone who can helps pack up!
3PM: home time.
Many of us will head to this event after joining a separate event – the Hunter Workers May Day Parade (9:30am for 10am start @ Newcastle Museum) and Workers Solidarity Carnival (11am at the Trainsheds, Foreshore Park).
Organised by Rising Tide
National Student Assembly for Sumud Flotilla - Friday 1 May
The IDF has illegally intercepted the Gaza Sumud Flotilla and has likely captured the activists on board. We are calling on the Australian government to use all means at their disposal to bring about the safe return of the 14 Australian citizens. The Labor party's obsequious attitude towards Israel has so far led to their complicity in genocide, and unless that changes now, will also lead to the torture of Australian citizens. This has to end. Join us Friday, May 1st, outside NUSpace.
Organised by UoN Students for Palestine
Instagram posts for this event:
SNAP RALLY: Sumud Flotilla Kidnapped
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla has been illegally intercepted in international waters off the coast of Greece by the Israeli navy. On-board are political activists from Brisbane, Sydney, and Newcastle.
We're meeting at Sharon Claydon's office to show that Labor's support for genocide will not go unchallenged in Newcastle.
Organised by UoN Students for Palestine
Astra Aerolab Public Info Session
Astra Aerolab is the site being developed next to Newcastle Airport to house weapons companies complicit in genocide and other war crimes.
Please join us Wednesday 22nd April from 6pm at Pachamama House to find out more!
At the information session we will cover:
The role of the Newcastle and Port Stephens councils in this development.
The companies involved, a short history of the harm they have already caused in the world and the ongoing risks they pose.
A brief overview of the community opposition to this development to date.
Ideas how we can stop/disrupt this development.
Pachamama House is located at 21 Gordon avenue Hamilton. There will be a light dinner (vegan and gluten free) provided by Food not Bombs from 5.30pm. The session will start at 6pm, so come a bit early if you want a bit of a feed beforehand.
For more info contact us at demilitarisenewcastle@protonmail.com
Organised by Demilitarise Newcastle
Palestinian Prisoners’ Day
Join us on Palestinian Prisoner's Day this Friday 17th April outside Sharon Claydon's office from 9am
Bring your outrage, heartache, and horror as we protest Labor's complicit inaction while the illegal settler colony of israel passes genocidal death penalty laws for Palestinians.
Suffering the most horrific torture, over ten thousand Palestinians (including children) are currently suffering in israeli torture camps
We acknowledge that incarceration and captive murder are genocidal tactics that have been (and continue to be) used on this continent for over 200 years.
انضموا إلينا في يوم الأسير الفلسطيني، يوم الجمعة 17 أبريل، أمام مكتب شارون كلايدون ابتداءً من الساعة التاسعة صباحًا.
شاركونا غضبكم وحزنكم ورعبكم، احتجاجًا على تواطؤ حزب العمال وتقاعسه، بينما تُقرّ إسرائيل، المستوطنة غير الشرعية، قوانين عقوبة الإعدام التي تُعدّ إبادة جماعية بحق الفلسطينيين.
يُعاني أكثر من عشرة آلاف فلسطيني (بمن فيهم أطفال) من أفظع أنواع التعذيب في معسكرات التعذيب الإسرائيلية.
ُقرّ بأن السجن وقتل الأسرى هما من أساليب الإبادة الجماعية التي استُخدمت (ولا تزال تُستخدم) في هذه القارة لأكثر من 200 عام
Organised by Palestine Action Group Muloobinba
Community Information Session: BOYCOTTING GENOCIDE
COMMUNITY INFORMATION SESSION:
BOYCOTTING GENOCIDE
Come and learn how we can stop our everyday shopping from
funding genocide and apartheid in Palestine
Sunday 12th April
3pm - 4pm
Star Hall
Cnr Valencia and Villiers St, Mayfield
(wheelchair-accessible and air-conditioned)
No Transition to Weapons
The Hunter is at a turning point. As the world decarbonises and moves to renewable energy, Newcastle’s coal export industry is headed for decline and some coal mines in the Hunter are nearing close dates.
We urgently need a plan to ensure secure, well-paid and sustainable jobs remain in our region.
Instead, the NSW and Federal Governments want to see our region transition into weapons manufacturing; fuelling genocide and war around the world, putting our city at risk.
This is not the future the Hunter needs.
The current plan for our region involves building Australia’s first missile factory on Newcastle Council Port Stephens Council land near Williamtown, known as Astra Aerolab. It is there they will produce missiles to be exported internationally and made available to Israel and used bomb civilians in Palestine.
We have a different vision for the Hunter: investment in renewable energy, healthcare, mine rehabilitation and housing to ensure there are secure jobs that support our community for generations to come.
As well as prioritising support for coal mine workers in retraining and job creation.
Join us to stand against genocide and war, and fight for a future for the Hunter that is safe, sustainable and free from weapons manufacturing.
Where: Civil Park Newcastle
When: 1pm Saturday 11th April
We acknowledge that this event is taking place on stolen Awabakal and Worimi land and that sovereignty has never been ceded. It always was, always will be Aboriginal land.
Organised by Rising TIde
Randa Abdel-Fattah at the Newcastle Writers Festival
Randa Abdel-Fattah is a Palestinian Egyptian writer, academic and former lawyer. She is an ARC Future Fellow at Macquarie University researching Arab and Muslim activism and social movements in Australia from the 1970s to date. She’s also a former lawyer and the multi-award-winning author of 12 books for children and young adults published in over 20 countries. Her new novel for adults is Discipline (University of Queensland Publishing).
Discipline: Randa Abdel-Fattah in Conversation
DATE March 28
TIME 11:30 am
WHERE Cummings Room Newcastle City Hall
An Unfree World: Randa Abdel-Fattah, Evelyn Araluen and Cheng Lei
DATE March 28
TIME 4:00 pm
WHERE Cummings Room Newcastle City Hall
Extra event – Discipline: Randa Abdel-Fattah in Conversation
DATE March 29
TIME 6:30 pm
WHERE Concert Hall Newcastle City Hall
Part of the program of the Newcastle Writers Festival
Australia, International Law and Armed Conflict: What are our obligations?
Overview
A briefing on international law and Australian state and territory international obligations on overseas conflicts and the environment.
Australia, International Law and Armed Conflict: What are our obligations?
Parliamentarians are making decisions today that will define Australia’s compliance with international law in years ahead. From sanctions and arms exports to humanitarian aid and recognition of states, choices made now carry real legal and political consequences.
Join us in person for a discussion on Australia's role and responsibilities under international law during armed conflicts and environmental crisis.
Adjunct Professor Chris Sidoti is a leading human rights advocate and legal expert. He served as Australian Human Rights Commissioner (1995-2000), Australian Law Reform Commissioner (1992-1995) and was the founding Director of the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (1987-1992). Internationally, he was a member of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (2017-2019) and currently is a Commissioner on the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.
Professor Emily Crawford is an internationally recognised expert in international law at Sydney Law School, specialising in international humanitarian and criminal law. In 2023, she was awarded the Max Plank-Cambridge Prize for International Law for her outstanding research contributions.
Location: Harold Lobb Concert Hall, Laman Street & Auckland Street, Newcastle
After the lecture, we will be sharing a light supper with Commissioner Sidoti and Professor Crawford. This will be held, subject to renovations being completed, in the bar and foyer area of the Harold Lobb Concert Hall. (If the renovations are not completed, we will advise of a replacement venue).
This event is co-hosted by the International Commission of Jurists, Amnesty International, the ANU Law School and the Newcastle Institute. All welcome. A prayer space has been allocated for those who need to pray.
Any monies received in excess of costs for this series of lectures will be donated equally to Médecins Sans Frontières, UNICEF and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.
Any questions, please call or text 0448 269 092.
Organised by the Association for the Promotion of International Law
Nationwide Student Strike for Palestine
Muloobinba/Newcastle is joining the Nationwide Student Strike for Palestine to show solidarity with Palestines and call on UON and Universities across Australia to cut ties with weapons manufactures.
11 March 2026
Civic Park
1pm
Organised by University of Newcastle Students for Palestine
FILM SCREENING: The Voice of Hind Rajab - ADDITIONAL SCREENING ANNOUNCED
Tower Cinemas Newcastle: Opening Night screening will include a Q&A / Panel Discussion.
Please email newcastle@fivestarcinemas.com.au if you have accessibility needs.
January 29, 2024. Red Crescent volunteers receive an emergency call. A 5-year old girl is trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue. While trying to keep her on the line, they do everything they can to get an ambulance to her. Her name was Hind Rajab.
UPDATE: FIRST SCREENING SOLD OUT - ADDITIONAL SCREENING ANNOUNCED
WE’RE SOLD OUT 😭✨
Our first screening is officially FULL.
But don’t worry - we’ve added a Saturday screening + Q&A panel 🎬🎤
If you missed out, this is your chance.
Saturday 7th March, 12:00 midday - buy tickets here
Organised by Conversations for Palestine
PAGM Rally: Sunday 1st March
مسيرة فلسطين يوم الأحد ٣/١ الساعة الواحدة والنصف عند متحف نيوكاسل
Palestine Rally 1:30pm this Sunday (March 1st) at Newcastle Museum
Organised by Palestine Action Group Muloobinba
Nationwide March: Protest Israel's President – Muloobinba/Newcastle
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is due to visit Australia, February 9–12, despite a growing coalition of human rights advocates, legal experts, anti-Zionist Jews and community groups calling on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to cancel his invitation.
Herzog is named in the International Court of Justice order on the genocide in Gaza, and the United Nations Commission of Inquiry found that he “incited the commission of genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza. He has also been photographed signing bombs to be dropped on Gaza in 2024.
Herzog bears responsibility for the deaths of more than 71,000 Palestinians, the forced displacement of more than 2 million people and the escalation of settler violence in the Occupied West Bank.
Palestine solidarity groups have called nationwide protests on Monday February 9. Join them to demand this war criminal be held to account.
PAGM Rally: Sunday 1 February
Join us this Sunday, February 1st to rally for Palestine. 1pm Newcastle Museum
انضموا الينا في مسيرة من أجل فلسطين يوم الأحد الأول من شهر شباط في تمام الساعة الواحدة ظهرا عند متحف نيوكاسل
Organised by Palestine Action Group Muloobinba
Protest Pat Conroy: Weapons Dealer
Protest weapons dealer PAT CONROY (Federal Minister for ‘Defence Industry’)
Monday 8th of December
4:30-5:30pm
571 Pacific Hwy Belmont
If you've ever considered coming to Warmonger Pat's, this is a great day to join us, as we wrap up a week of action for 🔥Earthcare Not Warfare: Weapons Out of Muloobinba/Newcastle ❤️🔥
We've got banners and flags and footpath chalk, feel free to bring placards/flags or share ours
PAGM Rally: Sunday 7 December
Forming part of the EARTHCARE NOT WARFARE: WEAPONS OUT OF MULOOBINBA week of action.
Train sheds, Foreshore Park 1pm,
Fundraising stalls, refreshments, chat time
Speeches begin at 1:30
Ola Alattely Bennett
Mariam Tohamy
Hannah Thomas
Zelda Grimshaw - speaking on the 50th anniversary of the invasion of Timor Leste
Then we march along Shortland Esplanade, concluding just before Newcastle Ocean Baths
Some of us plan to then take flags for quiet walks around the canoe pool beside the ocean baths, you are welcome to join us, we have spare flags
Organised by Palestine Action Group Muloobinba
Protest Pat Conroy: Weapons Dealer
Protest weapons dealer PAT CONROY (Federal Minister for ‘Defence Industry’)
Monday 1st of December (and Monday 8th too!)
4:30-5:30pm
571 Pacific Hwy Belmont
If you've ever considered coming to Warmonger Pat's, tomorrow is a great day to join us, as we gather for a week of action for 🔥Earthcare Not Warfare: Weapons Out of Muloobinba/Newcastle ❤️🔥
We've got banners and flags and footpath chalk, feel free to bring placards/flags or share ours
Paddle Out for Palestine at the People's Blockade
No coal for Israel. Stop fueling genocide.
This November, thousands are gathering at the Rising Tide People’s Blockade of the world’s largest coal port (Nov 27 – Dec 2) in Muloobinba / Newcastle, to take action for climate justice.
As part of this larger event, on Saturday the 29th of November, join our Paddle Out for Palestine: a powerful on-water action to oppose all coal trade with Israel.
We are calling on Palestinian solidarity campaigners to bring Palestinian and Lebanese flags to fly on the water while on kyacks. This is a non-arrestable action.
Rising Tide recognises that systems of oppression are deeply interconnected. The same colonial and extractivist forces driving the horrific genocide in Palestine are also destroying the planet’s life support systems. That’s why Rising Tide has partnered with a broad coalition of anti-genocide organisations to deliver this vital event.
Come to Camp Shortland for short speeches, before a short walk to Horseshoe Beach for the paddle out for Palestine. Bring your flags and your swimmers and we will provide the kyacks.
Nov 29 2025, 1pm - 2:30pm
Why?
Israel relies heavily on imported coal to power its war machine.
After Colombia cut coal exports, Australia stepped in, shipping over 130,000 tonnes in 2024 alone.
This trade is fueling genocide and violates the ICJ ruling that countries must not aid Israel’s occupation.
What will it achieve?
Together, we can send a clear message: No coal to Israel. No complicity in genocide. Bring your kayak, board, canoe, or just come to the foreshore in solidarity.
Organised by City of Sydney for Palestine
Message in a Bottle - Hope from Our Kids to Gaza's Kids
🌊 Part of Rising Tide’s The People’s Blockade
🗓 Date: Saturday 29 November
⏰ Time: 11:30am – 12:30pm
📍 Location: Kids Tent, The People’s Blockade (Muloobinba/Newcastle Foreshore)
Join Newcastle Mums for Palestine for a gentle, meaningful activity designed especially for children.
At Message in a Bottle, kids are invited to write hopeful messages, drawings, and letters to the children of Gaza. Messages of solidarity, love, and care from one shoreline to another.
These messages will be shared digitally with Humans To Be, who will ensure they reach children in Gaza.
This is a calm, creative space for kids to express compassion and connection, even in the face of heartbreaking events happening across the world.
EXHIBITION: Visions - Through the Eyes of a Palestinian Prisoner
Visions Through the Eyes of a Palestinian Prisoner showcases the works of Mohannad Al Azzeh, a Palestinian and former political prisoner of Israel. Mohannad was arrested and imprisoned for two and a half years for being a member of a non-violent political group at his university, where he was studying fine arts. In custody, he turned to art as a form of therapy, even though this is not permitted by the Israeli forces. Many of his artworks were found and destroyed, however, he was able to smuggle out some drawings.
This exhibition contains original drawings made inside Ofer Prison in Israel, alongside paintings completed since his release which focus on life as a Palestinian in an Israel prison.
Open 12pm-5pm, Thursday 27th to Sunday 30th of November, and 6pm on Thursday 27th.
OPENING NIGHT EVENT - 'Visions: Through the Eyes of a Palestinian Prisoner'
Join us on Saturday 22nd November 2025 for an incredibly special event, the official opening of Visions: Through the Eyes of a Palestinian Prisoner, featuring the works of artist and former prisoner hostage, Mohannad Al Azzeh, held illegally in israel’s prison system, twice in his life.
PAGM Rally: Sunday 9 November
From a manuscript on pilgrimage routes by Sayyid Ali Al-Husaini, c. 1559 CE
"Octagonal ground plan of the Dome of the Rock with its four cardinal-directed gates, and the rock with an access shaft under a canopy in the centre" (the dome was built in 692 CE)
Join us at Newcastle Museum this Sunday from 1pm to rally against the ongoing atrocities; the settler violence; the bombings; the torture; the starvation; the displacement; the destruction and deprivation of the very essentials for life. Speeches start at 1:30pm, then we march for the liberation of Palestine: the liberation of all
In our thousands and our millions
من مخطوطة عن طرق الحج للسيد علي الحسيني، حوالي عام ١٥٥٩ ميلادي
"مخطط أرضي مثمن لقبة الصخرة ببواباتها الأربعة الموجهة نحو السماء، والصخرة مع فتحة دخول تحت مظلة في الوسط" (بُنيت القبة عام ٦٩٢ ميلادي).
انضموا إلينا في متحف نيوكاسل هذا الأحد ابتداءً من الساعة الواحدة ظهرًا للاحتجاج على الفظائع المستمرة؛ عنف المستوطنين؛ القصف؛ التعذيب؛ التجويع؛ التهجير؛ التدمير والحرمان من أساسيات الحياة. تبدأ الكلمات الساعة الواحدة والنصف ظهرًا، ثم ننطلق في مسيرة من أجل تحرير فلسطين: تحرير الجميع.
بالآلاف والملايين
Organised by Palestine Action Group Muloobinba
