Thousands of Palestinian supporters rally in Melbourne, as Sydney’s Jewish community gathers in CBD – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

Thousands of Palestinian supporters have gathered in Melbourne for a seventh week in a row calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

The crowd at the State Library of Victoria in the CBD appeared smaller than in previous weeks, as the rally began about noon under rainy skies.

Many of the attendees donned a keffiyeh around their necks and waved Palestinian flags.

One of the speakers, Independent senator Lidia Thorpe, spoke of how she had been in police protection in recent weeks and had been trapped in her home for five months.

Ms Thorpe last month accused Australian Federal Police of failing to protect her after becoming the target of far-right extremists and racist abuse.

She told the crowd she would return to Canberra on Monday and take the message of the demonstrators to parliament.

“I will fight for you and I will stand up,” Ms Thorpe said.

“And I will not let this colonial system perpetrate or facilitate the genocide that’s going on.”

The protesters chanted “free free Palestine” and “ceasefire now”, as they made their way south down Swanston Street to Flinders Street before…