Hundreds mark Nakba Day at Castle of Good Hope
Pro-Palestine activists call for permanent ceasefire
Hundreds of people gathered at the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town on Sunday to mark the 77th anniversary of Nakba Day. Photos: Matthew Hirsch
The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town was a sea of red, white, green and black on Sunday as hundreds of people gathered to commemorate the 77th anniversary of Nakba Day. The rally was organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC).
Activists are calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. They are also calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel to isolate the country politically, economically and culturally. During the event, placards displayed read: “permanent ceasefire in all colonial wars” and “release all Palestinian hostages”.
The Nakba took place on in 1948 when 700,000 Palestinians were displaced from their homes. It is commemorated on 15 May, the day after Israel’s Independence Day. Sunday’s action joined similar protests across the world over the weekend, including thousands marching in London.
Activists who gathered at the Castle started proceedings with a moment of silence to honour the memory of all Palestinians who have been killed and dispossessed of their land. There were also musical performances and a play from the Women on Farms project that highlighted farm evictions.
PSC chairperson, Jaamia Galant, told the crowd that there was no hiding Israel’s intent and that it had the support of countries like the United States.
“We have witnessed the unfolding genocide in Gaza and the unimaginable suffering of the Palestinian people. We remind ourselves again that the freedom struggle of the Palestinian people is not a Muslim versus Jewish struggle; it is an anti-colonial struggle for justice; a struggle of reclaiming land, reclaiming identity and statehood,” she said.
In a statement before the rally, the PSC called for the enactment of the apartheid bill. Once passed, they said, the bill will also stop people “from committing or participating in any apartheid activity” and will establish a committee on apartheid to “investigate complaints relating to apartheid activities”.
PSC coordinator Usuf Chikte said the decision to have the rally at the Castle was deliberate. “We dismantled apartheid in South Africa, and [the Castle] is a symbol of settler colonialism and apartheid. We want it to resonate with what is taking place in Palestine. There’s nothing permanent about fascism,” he told GroundUp.
On Friday, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation also called for an immediate ceasefire and for the resumption of a political process to end the occupation.
Posters displayed on Sunday called for a ceasefire and peace in Palestine.
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