Wake Up Townsville: Free Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Our Free Palestine Campaign in Townsville starts from scratch. We are witnessing a historical moment that will be recorded in history, where an entire population is being collectively and systematically punished, annihilated, and removed from their homes—again and again. Although Townsville may feel far away from what is happening in Palestine, the fact that something like this is being allowed, that our institutions in Australia are supporting it against all international laws that we adhere to—principles that are supposed to protect us all against acts of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, torture, and violations of the most basic human rights—is something that concerns us all. Now, do those principles no longer stand?

We believe that all human beings deserve to live free from fear and violence. When children are killed, when families lose their homes, and when basic human rights are denied, we have a moral obligation to speak up.

We owe it to ourselves, to our children, and to our shared humanity to take action. Because a world that normalises such suffering is not the world we want future generations to inherit. What are we going to say to future generations when they ask us what we did to stop it?

Breaking the Silence in Townsville - Our Campaign

While cities across Australia and around the world have seen significant Palestine solidarity movements, Townsville has remained relatively quiet. This doesn't mean our community doesn't care—our previous events have revealed many Townsville residents who are deeply concerned but haven't found their collective voice.

Many people in our community feel isolated in their concern, unsure how to express their support, or hesitant to speak up without a safe community space. We aim to change that by creating a welcoming environment where Townsville residents can learn, connect, and take meaningful action together.

How can we build a meaningful movement in Townsville? Because Townsville tends to be conservative and there is a lot of disinformation, we have decided to start our campaign from the very basics—to start by showing that there is a Townsville that cares. By joining this fundraiser, you raise your hand and show that we are here, that our voices matter, and that we cannot be ignored.

As a start, we are going to place a high-visibility billboard in the city, which we are sure you. It will be a message about love, compassion, and humanity, which we believe connects us, not divides us. Our goal is to raise awareness. We are active on social media with a lot of educational content, so we hope to drive traffic there, or to inspire people to get informed. Our team includes someone with a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies with expertise in conflict dynamics, genocide, and human rights, as well as several people with Palestinian and Muslim backgrounds. We always check our facts and want to give people the opportunity to learn about what’s happening and take action. We also organize lovely community events that are always super popular and friendly! So, at this stage, our goal is to create awareness and connect our Townsville community.

Background: The Reality on the Ground

Since October 2023, the situation in Gaza has deteriorated to catastrophic levels. As of March 2025:

Over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed

An estimated 11,000 more people are missing, presumed dead under rubble.

90% of Gaza's population has been internally displaced.

Children Killed: Approximately 18,000 children have lost their lives, representing about 36% of the total fatalities.

These are not just statistics—they represent real human lives, families shattered, and communities destroyed. All planned and systematically executed to inflict as much pain as possible.

What Your Donation Will Fund

Who we are

Free Palestine Townsville is a grassroots community initiative dedicated to informing, inspiring, and mobilizing our community about Palestine. We started simply as a concerned group of friends, just like many of you out there. We are very open to new friends joining with new energies and ideas. Our campaign focuses on education, solidarity, and practical action to make a difference.

FAQs

We know that many are concerned that Palestine might be a controversial matter. So, let’s answer some questions…

Is supporting Palestine antisemitic?

Absolutely not. Supporting human rights and dignity for Palestinians is not antisemitic. While this accusation has unfortunately been used to silence legitimate advocacy, our campaign stands for peace, freedom, and dignity for all people—regardless of their ethnicity, nationality, or religion.

We are NOT against Israeli people or Jewish communities. In fact, many Jewish and Israeli individuals and organizations are at the forefront of advocating for Palestinian rights and opposing the ongoing violence. We stand alongside these voices in calling for justice and an end to human rights violations.

Our campaign focuses on universal human values and justice, not hatred toward any group. We believe that all people deserve to live with dignity, security, and self-determination.

Why focus on Palestine when Townsville has its own problems?

We deeply love Townsville and are intimately familiar with the challenges our community faces—we are locals and we face them too. We believe that our local struggles and global injustices are interconnected, not separate issues competing for attention.

But what we often miss is that the same forces that undermine security and well-being in our community often operate on a global scale. Corporate interests that profit from conflict while silencing people's voices impact communities everywhere, including our own. If we lose human rights in Palestine, we lose them too. Those who are oppressing Palestinians are not friends of Townsville—rather the contrary. Hatred and fear are tools elites use to avoid solving our local problems while maintaining power and money. And they are winning so easily!

We need to build global solidarities and alliances between people. Today, Townsville stands for Palestine, and tomorrow we will have a global village standing for our little Townsville. Standing for human rights in Palestine complements, rather than detracts from, our commitment to addressing local issues in Townsville.

Join Us

Every contribution helps strengthen our movement. Let’s show that we are here. Let’s put up a billboard that, for once, is not funded by a rich politician or business, but by people like you and me. Make your voice—our voices—louder. Make Palestine a matter that can no longer be ignored. Make it clear that we are not okay with human rights becoming a thing of the past.

Thank you for your support and solidarity. You can also support us by sharing and talking about it, and staying informed.