Readers may be aware that since February 2023 Palestine Fair Trade – Australia (PFTA) have been conducting a monthly stall selling Palestinian goods like soaps, olive oil, herbs, garments and cook books at the West End Markets in Brisbane Meanjin. The olive oil from Palestine is beautiful oil that is made on the West Bank. This trade by the Palestinians at the West End markets helps provide employment in the olive groves, in the soap factory in Nablus and for the seamtresses who make ornate wallets and purses in Gaza.
Answering the call from Justice for Palestine Meanjin about 100 people turned up to support the Palestine Fair Trade (Australia) PFTA stall at the West End markets on October 28, 2023. The protest took place outside the lease area held by Goodwill Projects which is the company that runs West End markets under license from Brisbane City Council.
The meeting heard a report from Jeff Knight who is the main organiser for PFTA in Brisbane and from Phil Monsour from Justice for Palestine – Meanjin. Ian Curr who has been helping out on the stall since February challenged the right of the Goodwill Projects company to cancel/suspend the lease as this is discriminatory.
Approaches have been made to all political parties to call on Goodwill Projects to reverse their decision. So far, representatives from different political parties have given verbal support but only one party has given material support to the stall.
Across Australia, PFTA sales have more than doubled since Israeli violence has become genocide in Gaza.
This shows real grass roots support for Palestinian workers that have made Palestine Fair Trade (Australia) possible. Political parties that have given support to Israel ignore this at their peril.
Ian Curr
30th of October 2023