‘School Is the Best Place’: Students Urged to Avoid Pro-Palestinian Rally in Melbourne

Protesters wave flags in support of Palestinians in Los Angeles on Oct. 12, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

School students have been urged to stay in the classroom ahead of a School Strike for Palestine planned on Nov. 23.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has advised school is the best place for students to learn about global events and understand today’s world.

The School Students for Palestine walk out of class is planned at lunch time, 1:30 p.m. on the steps of Flinders Street Station, Melbourne.

Ms. Allan highlighted school is the place for respectful engagement with other community members.

“If you are wanting to learn about global events, if you are wanting to understand the world we are living in, and some of the turmoil that we are seeing in the world, then school is the best place to get that learning and understanding of how to have respectful engagement with others in our community,” Ms. Allan said on Network 10. 

But in a media release on Nov. 23, School Students for Palestine insisted the walk out and strike for Palestine will go ahead.

The students will walk out to demand an immediate end to the “war on Gaza,” Israel out of Gaza and the West Bank, and an end to “military aid and support from Australia to Israel.”

The release quoted a year 11 student stating the response from politicians had made it clearer it was time to strike now.

“The response of politicians like Jacinta Allan to our walk out has made it even clearer that it’s right to strike now. We won’t let people in the same parties supporting Israel’s crimes tell us what to do,” 16-year-old Ivy said.

Jo Hope, parent of a year 11 student Audra who is planning a mass walkout at Princess Hill High School said the students have “every right to protest so that their voices are heard.”

However, some parents and political leaders have raised concerns in recent days about the involvement of children in these protests.

Melbourne Parent Raises Concerns

Melbourne parent Stephen, speaking on 3AW radio, said the planned school strike for Palestine was using students as “political pawns,” to protest on an issue they don’t understand.

He is one of 6,000 people who have signed a letter to the state government urging them to take a tough stance on the planned strike.

“I think education is paramount to our students,” the parent of Glen Eira College students said.

“The ability of students to understand the conflict is very, very difficult. They are not given a lot of information about the history, and taking time off school to protest for any reason at all is bad enough, but certainly one where they are being used as political pawns by certain elements of our society to protest something they have no understanding of.”

Stephen, whose children have been brought up Jewish, suggested the premier and education minister to make a definitive statement and issue a directive to principals at schools that students should not be encouraged to attend the strike.

Peter Dutton Disagrees with the School Strike

Liberal Opposition leader Peter Dutton, also speaking on 3AW, said he “completely and utterly” disagrees with the school strike.

“Kids are there to learn, and if our literacy and numeracy rates were through the roof and we had a story that was world standard within our teaching campuses at the moment then it would be a different story,” he said.

“But I think this is an indulgence, I think it’s a political statement, and I think the teachers have a greater responsibility to our kids than to allow them to march.”

Last week, Victorian Liberal MP for Kew Jess Wilson said the best place for students to learn about and engage in complex international issues is the classroom.

“The recent displays of violence on Victorian streets, and targeted attacks towards Victoria’s Jewish community, reinforce the need for the government to prevent harm and disunity from spreading in our schools,” she said.

Supporters gather for a rally to free Palestine on the steps of the Victorian parliament in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 15, 2023. Sam Tabone/Getty Images

Ceasefire and Hostage Release Deal

Meanwhile, Israel’s cabinet has approved a hostage and ceasefire release deal with the Hamas terrorist group. As part of the deal, 50 out of 240 women and children hostages will be released in return for a “lull in the fighting.”

A further day of respite will be added for every 10 hostages released. The deal is also said to include the freeing of 150 Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons. During the four-day pause in fighting, there will be an opportunity for more humanitarian aid to Gaza.

“The Israeli government, the IDF, and the security forces will continue the war in order to return all the hostages, to complete the elimination of Hamas, and to ensure that Gaza does not renew any threat to the State of Israel,” a statement from the Israeli government said.