Pro-Palestine Activists Blockade US Consulate, Pine Gap Military Base

Police officers work to remove a protester at protest outside of the United States Consulate in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 27, 2023. AAP Image/James Ross

Pro-Palestinian activists have staged protests at the Australian-U.S. military base in Pine Gap and the United States consulate in Melbourne.

At the consulate, footage has emerged of activists locking themselves to the entrance of the consulate in front of signs stating “close Pine Gap,” “stop the genocide,” and “Australia’s #1 partner, world’s #1 terrorist.”

The demonstrators were seen in front of barricades with the signs and a pro-Palestinian flag along with an Aboriginal flag. Multiple people have reportedly been arrested.

In the Northern Territory, two women were seen in images blocking the main road to the Pine Gap military base.

A barrel painted in red, white and green stating “stop war crimes in Palestine” was seen on the road, along with signs “close Pine Gap, stop genocide” and “free Palestine.”

Pine Gap, a satellite surveillance based near Alice Springs, is operated by Australia and the United States.

A Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson told the Epoch Times two females had received a notice to appear in court.

“Around 4:40 a.m. this morning, police received reports of protest activity on Hatt Road, approximately 100m from the Stuart Highway turnoff, Pine Gap,” he said.

“All protestors have now been removed from the road.

“A 39 and 32-year old female have been issued a Notice to Appear for traffic and summary offences. They are due to appear [on] Feb. 22, 2024.”

The Epoch Times has contacted Victorian Police for comment.

Anti-Semitism Concerns in Australia

Meanwhile, new New South Wales (NSW) Senator Dave Sharma has expressed concerns the Australian Greens are “demonising the state of Israel” and said they have a “blind spot on anti-Semitism.”

“I think if you are calling for the destruction of a member state of the United Nations and denying the Jewish people a right to their homeland and a state that is accepted by the United Nations, yes, I consider that to be anti-Semitism.”

Mr. Sharma, who was preselected by the NSW Liberal Party to replace Marise Payne in the Senate on Sunday, expressed concerns about conflicts overseas being “imported” into Australia.

“We cannot allow conflicts overseas to be imported into Australia such that we allow groups of Australians to seek to demonise, or intimidate or vilify other groups of Australians,” he said.

However, Greens leader Adam Bandt denied his party has a blind spot on anti-Semitism and called for a permanent ceasefire in Middle East conflict.

“From the beginning since the attacks on Oct. 7 which we condemned, I spoke very, very clearly in Parliament condemning anti-Semitism as well as Islamaphobia,” Mr. Bandt said on ABC radio.

“And there has to be not only a temporary ceasefire, but it needs to become a permanent ceasefire and we have called for that from the beginning.”