Capetonians take to streets for second day of solidarity protests
Cape Town 12-5-2021 Hundreds of people from various religions gather ahead of a second day of protest against violence in Jerusalem. Sheikh Jarrah is a tiny neighbourhood of East Jerusalem where protesters are trying to prevent Israel evicting eight Palestinian families and letting Jews move in. The standoff has seen violent clashes around the walled Old City and on Monday led to rocket fire by Gaza militants, drawing Israeli airstrikes on Gaza that health officials there said killed nine Palestinians. pic Clyde
Nearly 1000 Capetonians gathered in District Six yesterday for a second day of protests against Israeli attacks on Palestinians.
The demonstration, which started at the Muir Street mosque, called for sanctions to be imposed on Israel, and was organised by the Muslim Judicial Council (SA) and the Al-Quds Foundation.
Religious groups, unions and political parties have rallied under one banner to call for stronger action from the South African government.
“Free Palestine” reverberated through the CBD as the demonstrators marched down Hanover Street to Parliament.
The two days of protest come after hundreds of Palestinians were injured on Monday when the Israeli Defence Force raided Masjid al Aqsa in Jerusalem, leaving 122 people wounded and 26 Palestinians dead, including nine children.
Protester Mandla Mandela said: “ My son Ikraam is turning four years old today, and to continuously witness children in Palestine being shot in the back and being put in prison really pains our hearts as fathers, parents and also as citizens in the Republic of South Africa that have witnessed such brutalities in our past.
“We are here as a family to say that we will not rest until we see a free Palestine... that is why we are here as a family to charge forward with what Madiba once said, ‘our freedom is incomplete [without the feedom of] the Palestinians’.”
Mustafa Jacobs, of the Observatory Support committee for Palestine, is disappointed in the SA government not taking a firmer stand against Israel.
“They were asked 40 years ago to close the Israel embassy in South Africa, but we have yet to see that.”