Commemorating Nakba 75

This year, Australian Palestine solidarity groups including AFOPA agreed to hold a National Day of Commemoration of 75 years of the Nakba on Saturday 13 May. Events were held in every state, coordinated by the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN).

In Adelaide, AFOPA and Glimmer of Hope, South Australia’s Palestinian community organisation, marked the day with a Glimmer of Hope reflective walk from Grange to Glenelg, joining AFOPA’s rally at the steps of Parliament House. The rally was addressed by ALP Member of the Legislative Council, the Hon Irene Pnevmatikos and Yannis Roubos, member of the new group Young AFOPA, The rally marched from North Terrace through Rundle Mall destined for the Migration Museum on Kintore Avenue. The gathering at the Migration Museum heard from the Hon Tony Piccolo MP representing the Premier the Hon Peter Malinauskas and Tony Zappia federal Member for Makin. Other speakers were History Trust of SA Board Member Eva Balan-Vnuk, AFOPA Executive Committee member Imad Mahmoud and Glimmer of Hope Secretary Farah Babaa.

The  speeches by the Palestinians were of loss and grief due to the Nakba, while focusing on love for their homeland and faith that Palestine will be free. The final event for the day was the screening at the Piccadilly Theatre in North Adelaide of the documentary film, Tantura. This was a shocking and moving film by an Israeli determined to expose the truth of the terrible massacre in 1948 in the village of Tantura.
 
13 May was an eventful day for those who participated in Adelaide. It put the focus on the Nakba: how it was in 1948, and how the Nakba continues.