ANTI GENOCIDE ACTIVISTS UP THE ANTE
A coordinated campaign targeting the transfer of F35 weapons to Israel on Thai Airways flights has run 3 protest actions today.
TWO ARRESTS AT DEFENCE MINISTER RICHARD MARLES’ GEELONG OFFICE
Two peace activists have been arrested in Geelong after they locked on to a trolley in the doorway of Richard Marles’ electoral office this morning, effectively shutting down the office for much of the day.
A group of about 10 activists took part in the action at Marles’ office, holding a large banner demanding MARLES TO THE HAGUE.
The group, Defend Peace Djilang, has demanded to know who signed the export permits for F35 fighter jet parts sent from Sydney to Israel on Thai Airways flights.
Two Geelong women, Jaimie and Patricia, were cut out of the office by PORT officers, and were charged with trespass.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jaimie Jeffrey 0493 055 477
25.02.26 14.00 AEST – Marles to the Hague
VISION: https://mega.nz/folder/8iFDgYrQ#fLVbsHYs9Zk6bDnKak9CQA
THAI AIRWAYS ACTIONS AT MELBOURNE & SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS
At 8am this morning Sydney protesters held banners and handed out leaflets at the check-in desk of Thai Airways, alerting passengers about the 71 shipments of F35 weapons parts to Israel in the cargo hold of Thai Air flights from Sydney.
At 12 midday at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport, a group of protesters made a similar intervention during the check in for a Thai Air flight to Bangkok, holding up banners reading THAI AIR FLIES DEATH TO GAZA.
Both groups of protesters were moved on by police after approximately 45 minutes at the check-in counter.
There were no arrests however Sydney police is still investigating the protest.
“We are saying DON’T FLY THAI! Because Thai Air is shifting F35 fighter jet parts to support the Israeli genocide in Gaza” said Sydney spokesperson Amy Nguyen.
” We would like to know which Defence Department official is signing the export permits for these F35 shipments to Israel? Because it’s totally against genocide law to send military supplies to a genocide.
“We are going to come back and catch the Thai Airways afternoon flight to Bangkok as well because we reckon people will not want to sit on a plane that has weapons bound for genocide underneath them in the cargo hold,” said Ms Nguyen
Sarah Blumfeld, a participant in the Thai Airways action at Tullamarine International Airport in Melbourne, also highlighted the illegality and secrecy of the F35 shipments from Australia to Israel:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1GCS5zKEWQ/
“The covert agreement between Thai Airways, the RAAF, and the Australian government to appropriate civic airspace for purposes of military trade and transportation, represents a style of political decision- making operating in the shadows, in what ought to be a transparent process of consultation between democratic institutions and its people.
“Not only is this an abrogation of Australia’s commitment to International Humanitarian Law, as a signatory to the Genocide Convention, but a deeply disturbing betrayal of the social contract. This creep of militarization into civilian infrastructures under conditions of secrecy is intolerable.
“That civilian transportation, its physical infrastructure, and assets, will remain distinct from military uses, including trade, transportation, and/or other associated activities, is a basic assumption of any traveller embarking on a commercial flight overseas. To ignore this distinction is to put travellers at risk, and is to strip choice from passengers, who may have, in full knowledge of these facts, opted not to board those flights,” said Ms Blumfeld.
Vera Carocuore, an organiser of the #dontflythai campaign, added
“Thai Air is only a small cog in Lockheed Martin’s genocidal profit machine, but it is a critical cog regardless. The fact is, pieces of the F35 jets being used to annihilate the people of Gaza are manufactured here in Australia and then delivered to the Israeli military on Thai Airways commercial passenger flights.
“Australian Defence Department officials and Thai Airways executives are in breach of Australian Defence Export Regulations (2013), the UN Arms Trade Treaty (2013) and of the Genocide Convention (1948).
“We ask Thai Air to weigh up the profit they gain from shipping F35 parts against the immense reputational damage this connection to the Gaza genocide causes them. Holiday makers do not want to board flights stuffed with bomb door actuators for Israel’s F35 fleet,” said Ms Carocuore.
MEDIA CONTACT: Vera Carocuore 0407757367
VISION: https://mega.nz/folder/8iFDgYrQ#fLVbsHYs9Zk6bDnKak9CQA