Protesters Mark Nakba Day in Cities Across Australia

Protesters have marched in cities across Australia to mark the Nakba, a day that recognises the mass displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

The anniversary of the Nakba, which means "catastrophe" in Arabic, falls on May 15 each year.

About 500 people attended a rally to commemorate the Nakba in Melbourne on Sunday, marching from the State Library to Flinders Street Station.

Palestinian-Australian surgeon Dr Bushra Othman addressed the crowd assembled on the steps of the library.

"Those keys became heirlooms, those homes became memories."

Senator Lydia Thorpe told the rally Aboriginal Australians stood with the Palestinian people.

"I wish these anniversaries could be events of healing. But the Nakba is not over and continues to this very day," she said.

Greens Senator David Shoebridge accused the Australian government of "silence and complicity" in the current Middle East conflict.

"There was no one day when the Nakba started, there is no one day when the Nakba ended. It continues," he said.

Several people held Israeli flags up across the road from the pro-Palestinian rally, but the two groups were separated by police.

Police said there were "no issues" during the event.

Organisers 'encouraged' by crowds

In Brisbane, about 350 protesters gathered in the CBD to commemorate Nakba Day.

During the rally, the crowd heard from multiple Palestinian speakers who spoke of resistance and recounted stories of Nakba survivors and the generations that have come after them.

There was a recurring theme of hope amongst the speakers, and chants of "free, free Palestine" could be heard ringing out across the CBD as the crowds marched with megaphones, signs and Palestinian flags.

Among those in attendance was Nick Hanna, the lawyer representing a number of Queenslanders who are facing hate speech charges in relation to banned phrases.

In Perth, about 300 people attended the city's Nakba Day rally, which included a march through the city.

Friends of Palestine WA secretary Nick Everett said the rally was an opportunity to stand in solidarity.

The Perth rally was attended by community groups including the Palestinian Community of WA.

"This is one rally in an ongoing campaign … we're really encouraged by the numbers here today," Mr Everett said.

"For Palestinians the term Nakba means catastrophe, and each year Palestinians protest the ongoing Israeli cleansing of their lands.

"We urge people to take notice, write to their politicians and join us in our call for justice."

Significance of day 'immense'

More than 200 people gathered outside parliament in Adelaide to show their support for the Palestinian community on Nakba Day.

There was a strong police presence of about a dozen officers, and the crowd chanted "free Palestine" throughout the protest.

Husam Elassaad, a member of South Australia's Palestinian community, addressed the crowd and spoke about the impact of the dispossession on his community and family.

In Hobart, more than 100 people marched through the city before gathering on the lawns outside of Parliament House.

There were multiple speeches by members of Friends of Palestine Tasmania and the Tasmanian Palestine Advocacy Network (TPAN), along with poetry readings and musical performances.

TPAN member Zainab Fadhil said the significance of the day was "immense".

"Nakba demonstrates the impact that it had on the people so many years ago and people continue to show up today regardless of how long ago it was, because it's still important and significant.

"Regardless of the person, the race, the religion, the gender, we are all here to support the Palestinian people and their right of living."

In November 1947, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution partitioning Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab, with Jerusalem under a UN administration.

The Arab world rejected the plan, resulting in a war in 1948 after the departure of British forces and the declaration of independence of the State of Israel.

An estimated 750,000 refugees from historic Palestine either fled or were expelled from their homes, many going to refugee camps or neighbouring countries.

In 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution resolving that "refugees wishing to return to their homes … should be permitted to do so".

The "right of return" of those refugees to what is now Israel is a core demand of most Palestinian groups, and has been one of the most intractable issues in negotiations between Israel and Palestinian representatives.