All around the western world workers are being sacked from their jobs, students are being kicked out of universities and public meetings and demonstrations are being excluded from public places because of our support for the Palestinian people. In Brisbane, Queensland, it is no different. Governments and employers are trying to hide their complicity in the genocide occurring in Gaza during Christmas 2023. These actions are particularly severe in settler colonial states like the United States, Canada, England and Australia where governments are supporting the fascist Israeli government over the rights of the Palestinian people.
On 28th October 2023, the Palestine Fair Trade Australia (PFTA) stall was excluded from the West End markets by managment, Goodwill Projects, run by Mark Power. This was not the first time. The PFTA stall was excluded from the market on 25 August 2023 and the lease that it held till the end of the year was cancelled.
Two customers of the Palestine Fair Trade Australia have received a reply (on 2 Nov 2023) from the West End Market manager, Goodwill Projects, about its “decision to momentarily pause attendance for any and all vendors associated with the conflict (in Palestine).” Their email reads:
Email from West End Markets regarding its cancellation of the Palestine Fair Trade (Australia) lease
“Thank you for reaching out.
We understand that you are unhappy with our decision to pause this stall for the time being at our West End Markets. As we have explained to the stallholders, given the current situation, we made the decision to momentarily pause attendance for any and all vendors associated with the conflict, regardless of their differing views. Following a number of calls and complaints, our primary purpose is to ensure the safety and comfort of all who attend our markets. We’d like to reaffirm that this decision applies to all and any groups associated with the ongoing Palestine/Israel conflict (our emphasis).
We are a farmers and community market, and our sole priority is ensuring a respectful, tolerant, safe, and enjoyable environment for all. We cannot allow for even the possibility of tension or discomfort at our markets. Our team is not equipped to deal with any security-related incidents should they escalate, so their safety must also be a priority.
We strongly believe everyone is entitled to their own opinions and viewpoints and can voice these how they see fit – however, we don’t believe that a farmers market is a suitable arena for any stalls that may be associated with a conflict or war while there is such a high degree of tension. We have explained this to the organisation on several occasions and respectfully requested they pause their attendance for a short period, which we feel is entirely reasonable.
Our priority is to ensure an enjoyable, safe market experience for all and we look forward to welcoming them back as soon as possible.
Thank you for your understanding.
Kind regards,
Linh
Goodwill Projects are excited and honoured to announce that we have been selected as Finalists in the 2023 Telstra Best of Business Awards in the Building Communities category.”
Goodwill Projects are lying
I find this letter from “Goodwill Projects” disingenuous. It is sloppily drafted, possibly by their lawyers to avoid a charge of discrimination. Goodwill Projects claim: “we made the decision to momentarily pause attendance for any and all vendors associated with the conflict, regardless of their differing views.“
Needless to say there is no Israeli nor has there ever been an Israeli stall at the West End markets. So their claim that they have refused both sides access to the markets is a lie. It is only Palestine Fair Trade Australia that has nothing to do whatsoever with the military ‘conflict‘ in Gaza or the West Bank that has been excluded from the markets. The ‘conflict‘ they talk about is a military occupation by Israel for the past 75 years! The war is asymmetrical with all the serious weaponry held by one side, Israel.
To find out the truth about Palestine Fair Trade Australia, all Goodwill Projects needed to do was to read the PFTA charter:
“All our proceeds are returned to purchase these artisan goods from Palestine, which supports Palestinian families, farmers, communities and artisans to maintain their lands, culture and heritage.“
So PFTA Imports goods made by people in the occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank and then remits the money back to the producers, so that they can continue to earn a livelihood. Where is the conflict in that? PFTA is a registered charity. PFTA producers in the Gaza Strip have been bombed and attacked by Israeli occupation forces.
The owner of the land on which the markets are situated is the Brisbane City Council that provocatively lit up the Story Bridge with Israeli flag colours to show it was on the Israeli side. What is Goodwill Projects doing about the Brisbane City Council’s violation of the racial discrimination act by declaring its side with the aggressor?
Secondly, Goodwill Projects initially banned PFTA from the West End markets prior to 7 October for displaying the UN’s ‘Disappearing Palestine Map‘. That was a politically motivated attack by Goodwill Projects on free speech. When PFTA decided to take down the Disappearing Palestine map and it was promptly restored to the markets by Goodwill Projects. This shows the political motivation behind its original decision to cancel the lease.
Its genocide, you can’t hide
It is not as if the struggle of the Palestinian people to return to their homeland is anything new. The recent chapter in Gaza is part of a genocide that has been ongoing for 75 years.
Given the stance of the Australian government not to vote for a ceasefire in Gaza, makes our government complicit in the genocide in Gaza. Australians elected the current government, if they didn’t know where government sympathies lay with Israel previously, they certainly know now. No one, not even Goodwill Projects can hide from this. By banning PFTA they are showing their support for the genocide by Israel.
Their claim: “We cannot allow for even the possibility of tension or discomfort at our markets” is nonsense. Goodwill Projects can’t hide from the genocide being committed. Its lessor, the Brisbane City Council provocatively lit up the Story Bridge with Israeli flag colours to show which side it was on after 7 October.
Then the PFTA lease was “paused indefinitely” a second time after 7 October 2023 because “of the global situation“. Goodwill Projects refused to re-negotiate the lease paid up until the end of the year despite mediation by the local councillor for the Gabba ward, Trina Massey.
In response, with the support of Justice for Palestine Meanjin, the PFTA stall continued its presence in Davies Park next to the West End Markets. Sadly, because of constant bombardment by Israeli occupation forces and a complete shutdown of the Palestinian economy the PFTA stall in Brisbane has been unable to meet demand for purses, scarves, olive oil, keffiyahs and even soaps and Zaatar.
Ian Curr
2 Dec 2023
