Plain residents show support for Palestine
STRONG TURNOUT: MPPAN held its first march on Saturday. Picture supplied
The Mitchells Plain-Palestine Action Network (MPPAN) held its first march in solidarity with Palestine on Saturday.
The massive march formed part of its Palestine solidarity campaign in Mitchells Plain.
The network, advocating for human rights and justice for the Palestinian people, consists of local organisations and political parties.
These include the ANC, ANC Youth League, Al Jama-ah, GOOD, Imamat Council of Mitchells Plain, Muslim Judicial Council, Da’iratu Tahfeethil Qur’an, As-Suhbah, AMR Youth Group, National Freedom Party, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Pagad and Youth for Al-Quds.
The march commenced from three key starting points – Town Centre, Westgate Mall and Watergate Centre, and ended at the Corner of Morgenster Road and AZ Berman Drive.
MPPAN media communications officer Munier Hendricks, says: “It was good to see that our community could come together for a common purpose, a purpose of humanity, a belief in what is right, the rights of people, and standing up for what is right.”
Meanwhile, pro-Palestine supporters held a demonstration at the Zara store at the V&A Waterfront on Saturday, following a recent campaign by the fashion house depicting ruins and body shrouds eerily similar to scenes from besieged Gaza in Palestine. Protesters wore white T-shirts with the Zara logo crossed out while carrying faux shrouded bodies of children.
Protest organiser Insaaf Manuel from Belgravia Estate said the protest was to create awareness around the insensitive and tone-deaf ad. Manuel says: “Why the decision was taken to protest at Zara, was to create global awareness that the ad was not to market clothing a particular clothing line, but to mock our martyrs of Palestine, to expose the Zara brand as supporters of genocide.”
Over 18 000 Palestinians are reported to have been killed by Israel Defense Forces since 7 October, and an estimated over 50 000 injured.