Ms Tamimi is a spokeswoman and primary organiser for Dunedin Justice for Palestine, which co-ordinates the weekly rallies from the Tūhura Otago Museum reserve to the Octagon that have been taking place since October last year.
Those rallies would now take a break until September 14, to provide respite for those who have been regularly turning up to share stories and demonstrate support for Palestinians.
"We need to look after the people who are looking after us," Ms Tamimi said.
"We know how supportive Dunedin people are. They do want to learn about Palestine and are interested in the culture, the language, the food and how people from Palestine live."
Her radio show and podcast takes its name from the watermelon, an unofficial symbol of Palestinian solidarity. It features information gathered from international news services and commentators, as well as the "on the ground" experiences of Ms Tamimi’s remaining family in Hebron.
The Watermelon Report airs on 105.4FM and 1575AM on Thursdays at 8.30pm. Podcasts are available from oar.org.nz and other major platforms.
A full schedule of OAR FM programmes can be found at oar.org.nz.
By Jeff Harford
