Blog

“Free Marwan, Free Palestine!” FPM Meet Abby Martin in Naarm

Posted on 29 July 20265 August 2026 by Admin

During an Australian tour in support of her new feature documentary Earth’s Greatest Enemy, American investigative journalist and filmmaker Abby Martin met with members of Free Palestine Melbourne at an IPAN event in the city.

A vocal critic of Israel’s genocide, Martin has appeared as a guest on several high-profile programs. Her considerable body of work on Palestine includes the 2019 documentary Gaza Fights for Freedom that focuses on Israel’s human rights violations against Palestinians during the Great March of Return demonstrations.

The documentary evocatively substantiated claims Israel’s plan has always been the displacement of Palestinians from their homeland, and emphasised Israel’s crimes of collective punishment in its deliberate killing of children, journalists and medical workers. Today, we continue to witness Israel commit these unimaginable crimes on a catastrophic scale, as the genocide in Gaza rages into its fourth year.

During the meeting Martin lent her support to Free Palestine Melbourne’s Freedom for Marwan Barghouti Now campaign, part of the international Free Marwan initiative, calling for his release along with the thousands of Palestinian hostages held illegally in Israeli prisons.

Free Palestine Melbourne thanked Martin for her fearless reporting and commentary in support of the Palestinian people, and we wish her the very best in her future endeavours.

Free Marwan! Free Palestine!

Statement on Brutal Escalation of Settler Violence in Occupied West Bank

Posted on 25 July 20265 August 2026 by admin

25 July 2026: Free Palestine Melbourne strongly condemns the brutal escalation of settler violence in the occupied West Bank, particularly the attacks on the Palestinian village of Tell near Nablus, as well as the assault on Nablus Hospital. These attacks are part of an ongoing pattern of violence carried out by extremist Israeli settlers under the protection of the Israeli military, leaving Palestinian communities living under constant fear and threat.

“Trusted Sources”: How The Conversation Laundered Gaza Self-Defence Claims into “What the Law Says” – a case study with Freedom of Information evidence

Posted on 16 July 202623 July 2026 by Free Palestine Melbourne

EXCLUSIVE INVESTIGATION: It began in June 2025 as a once-faithful reader’s complaint to The Conversation — a “research-based” outlet with 47 million readers — about an article on Israel’s claimed right of self-defence in Gaza, by a Commonwealth-funded Professor of International Law. On publication day, they dismissed my complaint; the next morning, they quietly scrubbed “Here’s what the law says” from the title. As attempts at redress failed, FOI requests to the Australian National University yielded the author’s original submissions for two articles. The comparison revealed a pattern of editors abusing academic authority to provide legal cover for international crimes.

Earth’s Greatest Enemy: Film & Panel with Abby Martin (Mon 27 July)

Posted on 9 July 202625 July 2026 by Free Palestine Melbourne

Mon. 27 July 2026, 6:15 pm arrival for 6:30–9pm, Sun Theatre Yarraville. Abby Martin’s Earth’s Greatest Enemy, followed by a conversation with Dave Sweeney (ACF).

What’s On July 06-12 2026

Posted on 6 July 20267 July 2026 by admin

What’s On around Naarm/Melbourne & regional Victoria: Jul 06-12, 2026

The Return, a play by Ala’a Al Qaisi (15–22 Sep, Melbourne & regional Vic)

Posted on 29 June 202623 July 2026 by Free Palestine Melbourne

Purchase Tickets

As war tears through Gaza, a father waits beneath the clouds for his daughters to come home.

The Return Project and Free Palestine Melbourne are proud to present The Return, a play by award winning Palestinian Australian writer and director, Ala’a Al Qaisi.

A powerful theatrical event not to be missed.

Part dream, part revelation, The Return is a haunting and visually stunning theatrical experience that transports audiences beyond the limits of time and space. Through magical realism, poetry, music, and powerful storytelling, the play invites us into a world where the dead speak, the living awaken, and even the deepest wounds become a doorway to transformation.

The Return is inspired by martyred Palestinian sisters, Nagham and Rozan Abu Samra, who were killed by an Israeli strike on Gaza in 2024. Nagham was a karate champion who would have represented Palestine at the Olympic Games. The play is dedicated to their father Marwan who lives on to share their legacy, and to all the beautiful souls whose lights were extinguished far too soon in the Gaza genocide.

Both intimate and epic, heartbreaking and unexpectedly humorous, The Return is more than a play, it is an unforgettable journey into the heart of grief, resilience, forgiveness, and hope.

This is a story that will stay with you long after the curtain falls.

Cast: Rashid Taki as Marwan, Ala’a Al Qaisi as Rozan, Mohammed El Kesm as Aviv and The Man, Ahlam Hijazi as Sarah.

The Return will play in theatres across Melbourne and regional Victoria from 15–22 September, including Brunswick, Keysborough, Ballarat and Castlemaine. It is the first time the play will be performed in the state following a successful Sydney run in 2025.

The Return Victoria 2026 Dates:

September 15, 16, 17 and 20: Brunswick Mechanics Institute
September 18: Ballarat Performing Arts Centre
September 19: Chandler Community Centre, Keysborough
September 22: The Phee Broadway Theatre, Castlemaine

Purchase Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/the-return-play-melbourne/tickets

This performance explores themes of war, grief, and psychological trauma. It includes descriptions of violence and loss. Recommended for audiences aged 15 and above.

Press release: The Return, a new play by award-winning writer Ala’a Al Qaisi, comes to Victorian theatres this September

Posted on 29 June 202629 June 2026 by Free Palestine Melbourne

The Return Project and Free Palestine Melbourne are proud to present The Return, a play by award-winning Palestinian Australian writer and director, Ala’a Al Qaisi.

What’s On June 15-21 2026

Posted on 15 June 202615 June 2026 by admin

What’s On around Naarm/Melbourne & regional Victoria: Jun 15-21, 2026

Internationally renowned actor and activist Khalid Abdalla voices support for Free Marwan Barghouti campaign at Naksa Day Rally

Posted on 8 June 202614 June 2026 by Free Palestine Melbourne

British Egyptian actor and activist Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner, The Crown, The Square) spoke at the Free Palestine Naksa Day Rally in Naarm on Sunday June 7 where he mentioned his connection to the Free Marwan Barghouti campaign and paid tribute to the Free Palestine Melbourne movement.