Israel-Gaza war: Crowds protest in Cape Town
Crowds took to the streets of Cape Town on Saturday demanding an end to the Israel-Gaza war, as the conflict is on the brink of entering its second year.
Some waved Palestinian flags, while others carried placards accusing Israel of genocide, as the group marched to parliament in a demonstration organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Some in the crowd expressed their support for South Africa’s claim in the International Court of Justice, insisting that Israel’s military action in Gaza in the wake of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack constitutes “genocide.”‘
"I think the state of Israel is genocidal. It's a settler colonial state. We know what it means to have land stolen, racism and white supremacy as South Africans, so I'm here to make sure that apartheid does not exist and continue in a legal form anywhere,” said Cape Town resident Lee Anne Naidoo.
Others, meanwhile, said they felt that history is repeating itself.
Irish tourist James Conlon said: "As an Irish person, I feel sort of aligned to people that have been oppressed, that have struggled and have been colonised, and it's completely unjust what's happening in this world. It's sickening and I want to just lend my voice to this group of people who also stand with the oppressed and with the voiceless".
According to Gaza’s health ministry, almost 42 000 Palestinians have been killed in the enclave since the war broke out following the Hamas attack.
High security alert
Security forces in several countries warned of heightened levels of alert in major cities, amid concerns that the escalating conflict in the Middle East could inspire new terror attacks in Europe or that the protests could turn violent.
Anti-Israel protests have repeatedly taken place across Europe and around the globe over the past year and have often turned violent, with confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement.
In Berlin, a march was scheduled from the Brandenburg Gate to Bebelplatz yesterday. Local media reported that security forces had warned of a potential overload because of the scale of protests. German authorities pointed to increasing antisemitic and violent incidents in recent days.
Early last week in France, interior minister Bruno Retailleau warned the country’s regional prefects, expressing concern about possible tensions and saying that the terrorist threat was high.
- Additional reporting by Times of Israel
Some waved Palestinian flags, while others carried placards accusing Israel of genocide, as the group marched to parliament in a demonstration organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Some in the crowd expressed their support for South Africa’s claim in the International Court of Justice, insisting that Israel’s military action in Gaza in the wake of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack constitutes “genocide.”‘
"I think the state of Israel is genocidal. It's a settler colonial state. We know what it means to have land stolen, racism and white supremacy as South Africans, so I'm here to make sure that apartheid does not exist and continue in a legal form anywhere,” said Cape Town resident Lee Anne Naidoo.
Others, meanwhile, said they felt that history is repeating itself.
Irish tourist James Conlon said: "As an Irish person, I feel sort of aligned to people that have been oppressed, that have struggled and have been colonised, and it's completely unjust what's happening in this world. It's sickening and I want to just lend my voice to this group of people who also stand with the oppressed and with the voiceless".
According to Gaza’s health ministry, almost 42 000 Palestinians have been killed in the enclave since the war broke out following the Hamas attack.
High security alert
Security forces in several countries warned of heightened levels of alert in major cities, amid concerns that the escalating conflict in the Middle East could inspire new terror attacks in Europe or that the protests could turn violent.
Anti-Israel protests have repeatedly taken place across Europe and around the globe over the past year and have often turned violent, with confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement.
In Berlin, a march was scheduled from the Brandenburg Gate to Bebelplatz yesterday. Local media reported that security forces had warned of a potential overload because of the scale of protests. German authorities pointed to increasing antisemitic and violent incidents in recent days.
Early last week in France, interior minister Bruno Retailleau warned the country’s regional prefects, expressing concern about possible tensions and saying that the terrorist threat was high.
- Additional reporting by Times of Israel
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article