Palm Sunday Peace Rallies this weekend

This coming Sunday, 28 March, is Palm Sunday 2021.

The day marks the biblical account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.

The Palm Sunday Peace rally is one of the major ways that Christians in Australia observe the occasion. The rally has a long and involved history, dating back to the nuclear disarmament marches that started in the 1970s.

As Insights previously noted, the rallies tend to focus on issues relevant to their times. With the overarching theme of peace, these have previously included nuclear disarmament, the struggles of the East Timorese, and the Iraq War, which prompted a record-setting crowd at the 2003 rallies.

 This year Palm Sunday actions are calling for:

• Permanent visas for all refugees
• Basic income support for people in the community while their refugee status is assessed
• Release ALL Refugees from Detention
• An end to offshore processing

The Sydney Palm Sunday rally takes place at Belmore Park (near Central Station) from 2pm.

The Canberra event takes place at Garema Place at 1pm.

Taking place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Palm Sunday rally needed to be cancelled. An online event eventually replaced it.

For more information on the Palm Sunday Peace March, visit the official page here.