CAPE TOWN: Several hundred people marched through central Cape Town on Saturday waving Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans in solidarity with Palestinians in a pro-Gaza rally to mark the first anniversary of the ongoing Israeli bombardment campaign in Gaza.
The protest was organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, drawing significant attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Demonstrators marched through central Cape Town, many donning keffiyeh scarves, a symbol of Palestinian resistance. As they walked towards the national parliament, they held placards accusing Israel of committing genocide and practicing racial discrimination.
Chants of “Israel is a racist state” and “We are all Palestinian” filled the air, while others declared solidarity with Hamas, holding signs that read, “We are all Hamas” and “Zionism is racism.”
For the protesters, the rally was a way to call international attention to an escalating humanitarian crisis. Linelle Arendse, one of the marchers, told local media, “I am appalled at Israel and the genocide and the attack on innocent people, children… and now moving on into Lebanon.”
The protest also had a legal dimension. Majority of South Africans are backing the country’s case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which seeks to hold Israel accountable for its military operations in Gaza. The South African government has argued that the military campaign constitutes genocide.
March organizers delivered a memorandum to parliament calling for the implementation of the 1973 Apartheid Convention, which was signed by the South African government in May 2024. The convention classifies apartheid as a crime and enables countries to take actions, including sanctions or boycotts, against states that practice it.
Similar pro-Gaza demonstrations were scheduled in Johannesburg, Durban, and other cities across South Africa, with global rallies expected to coincide with the anniversary of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
