Sydney mayor survives no-confidence vote over pro-Palestinian rallies

By Anadolu staff

A mayor in a local government area in Sydney, Australia, survived a no-confidence vote after Liberal councilors moved to censure her for participating and speaking at pro-Palestinian rallies, Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Wednesday.

Randwick Mayor Philipa Veitch faced the vote 10-5 at an extraordinary council meeting on Tuesday night that was moved following her speeches at pro-Palestinian rallies.

The motion, jointly opposed by Greens and Labor councilors, was amended into a general condemnation of antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Veitch addressed protests at the University of New South Wales and outside the offices of US arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin in Matraville.

She said the motion was aimed at impacting the upcoming local government elections.

"It's incredibly disappointing to see this sort of political game playing that is so commonly used against women who dare to take leadership positions in politics," she said.

Local government elections are slated to be held on Sept. 14.

Terming the motion a "dangerous political stunt" by Liberal councilors, Veitch said she will never stop advocating for the "protection of human rights for all people, and for the needs of the people of the community I serve."

Labor Councilor Dylan Parker, who moved to alter the vote of no confidence into a motion against antisemitism and Islamophobia, told the meeting it was inappropriate to remove the mayor so close to an election.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian group Hamas.

Ten months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza since Oct. 7, and is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice for its military campaign.