Julian Assange’s father has headlined a rally in support of Palestinians, as Aussies in Lebanon are advised to return home immediately over concerns the Hamas-Israel conflict could spill over throughout the Middle East.
‘So many familiar faces fought successfully for Julian’s freedom… The next job may be a bit harder,’ John Shipton told a passionate crowd on the steps of Victoria’s parliament in Melbourne on Saturday afternoon.
The banner behind Mr Shitpton read ‘Stop the genocide’.
In June Mr Assange was allowed to return to Australia a free man due after fighting extradition the US over his Wikileaks publishing of official secrets.
His father’s appearance at the protest follows Australian foreign minister Penny Wong on Wednesday night telling Australians in Lebanon to leave while they still can.
There are concerns the country’s security could deteriorate rapidly ‘with little or no notice’, the Smart Traveller website states.
On Friday, the U.S. military confirmed it will deploy additional fighter jets and Navy warships to the Middle East as Washington seeks to bolster defenses following new threats from Iran and its allies Hamas and Hezbollah.
Australians were first told not to travel to Lebanon in October, a few weeks after Hamas’s attack on Israel.
John Shipton, the father of freed activist Julian Assange, spoke at a pro-Palestinian rally on Saturday
Mr Shipton said the fight for the Palestinians under siege would mirror the fight to free his son
Hamas, designated a terrorist organisation by the government, on October 7 launched the assault that killed 1200 people and led more than 200 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel then launched a bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza that has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, the local health ministry says.
Concerns the conflict could spread further in the Middle East have grown since Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran and senior Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur was killed in Beirut earlier this week.
Iran threatened to respond after the attack on its territory, prompting the United States to keep an aircraft carrier in the region and move a fighter jet squadron to the Middle East.
US President Joe Biden has said he was ‘very concerned’ the violence could escalate.
Iran and Hamas accused Israel of killing Haniyeh but Israel has not claimed responsibility.
On Friday, the family of an Australian aid worker killed by an Israeli air strike called for a criminal investigation after a government report blamed the assault on serious errors, finding it was ‘not deliberately directed’.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange kisses his wife Stella Assange as he arrived in Canberra, Australia, on June 26, 2024
Assange raised a fist in the air as he waved at the crowd at Canberra Airport
The Israeli Defence Force launched strikes in April that killed Australian Zomi Frankcom and six other World Central Kitchen workers as they delivered food in Gaza.
Former Australian Defence Force chief Mark Binskin’s report found serious errors, exacerbated by confirmation bias, led Israel to launch the strike.
A family spokesperson pushed for further
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