Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

3-minute read
15 November 2023 | 12:56 CAT

A man releases smoke in the colours of the Palestinian flag during the march. Despite the protest’s size, we are unaware of any incidents at the time of writing. It appears to have been entirely peaceful. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks

Tens of thousands of people marched through Cape Town city centre on Saturday, many calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. It was one of the biggest protests in the city for several years, perhaps only exceeded in size by a protest against a previous war between Israel and Gaza.

The march started at the Muir Street Mosque in District Six and ended at the Western Cape provincial legislature in Wale Street.

Clergy led the marchers from different faiths chanting “free Palestine”, including anti-apartheid cleric Dr Allan Boesak, who called for the Israeli embassy to be shut down.

“That apartheid state that’s been waging a war of extermination for the last 75 years against our people,” he said to the crowd amid cries of “shut it down”.

“That apartheid state that cannot stop murdering the children. For every Palestinian child in a coffin, we say shut it down. Every piece of land stolen from our people in Palestine, shut it down,” he said.

Palestinian officials say over 11 thousand people have been killed in Gaza, 40 per cent of them children, since the start of Israel’s war.

Israeli settlers and soldiers have also been attacking Palestinians in the West Bank, and nearly 200 people have been killed since 7 October.

Western Cape Journalist Sawmiet Moos discussed the demands of those out on the streets in Cape Town on Saturday and Sunday with Radio Islam International.

Marchers lined the streets of Cape Town with flags and posters. They chanted: “By the million, by the billion, we are all Palestinian” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Protesters called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as they marched through Cape Town on Saturday. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks

The official list of demands of the protest was:

“1. The Western Cape Government pledges unequivocal support and solidarity with the people of Palestine, just as they stood by the people of Ukraine.

2. That the Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde, condemns the atrocious war crimes of Benjamin Netanyahu and promises to arrest him, just as he promised to stop Vladimir Putin.

3. That the Western Cape Government condemns the apartheid state of Israel just as it condemned the Russian Federation and the Premier denounces the United States of America for its hand in the mass killing of innocent people.”

There have been several events in solidarity with Palestinians over the weekend. On Friday night, a Shabbat service was hosted by South African Jews For a Free Palestine on the Sea Point beachfront. It was the fourth such event, and organisers say they plan to take it to other parts of the city in the coming weeks.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and Sawmiet Moos.