Thousands march in Cape Town for Palestinian solidarity

Capetonians joined thousands of protesters in major cities around the world on Saturday demanding an end to bloodshed in Gaza and the wider Middle East ahead of the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel on Monday.

The march from Hanover Street, District Six to Parliament led by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) Cape Town and supported by civil society organisations, faith-based groups, human rights activists, and members of the public called for the implementation of the Apartheid Bill, and sanctions against Israel.

The PSC campaign said its Apartheid Convention Bill, to be tabled in Parliament as a private member’s bill, was based on the 1973 International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid (the Convention).

“We have experienced the oppression and exploitation of European colonialism and Apartheid in South Africa for nearly 400 years. South Africa acceded to the Convention on 14 May 2024 and the Convention entered into force for South Africa on 13 June 2024.

The Convention declares apartheid a crime against humanity. Adopting and passing into law the Apartheid Convention Bill, that will enable the state to make boycotts, sanctions and divestment (BDS) against Israel by South Africans compulsory and mandatory as well as prosecute and punish all those implementing and/or supporting apartheid anywhere in the world,” the PSC said.

“The genocide in Gaza continues with over 42 000 Palestinians killed by the Israeli Occupation Forces since 7 October 2023 but with an estimated 183 000 dead and buried under the rubble.

Israel has destroyed all infrastructure necessary for life in Gaza and is also starving people to death and preventing them from being treated for injuries and diseases.

“The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest court in the World, and several expert groups have determined that Israel be charged for committing genocide in Palestine and instructed it to stop its mass murder and destruction of Gaza.”

The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) has condemned the march.

“The United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defines genocide as acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.

“This includes killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction, imposing measures intended to prevent births, or forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. Israel’s military operations, aimed at neutralising terrorist threats and protecting its citizens, do not meet this definition. The Israeli Defense Forces have consistently taken measures to minimise civilian casualties, including warning civilians before strikes and aborting missions when civilian presence is detected,” the SAZF said.

About 40 000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through central London, while thousands gathered in Paris, Rome, Manila and New York City. Demonstrations were also held near the White House in Washington, protesting against US support for Israel in military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon.

The war in Gaza was triggered when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1 200 people and taking about 250 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

The war has spread through the region, drawing in Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq. Israel has sharply escalated a campaign in recent weeks in Lebanon. Iran launched a barrage of missiles against Israel this week.

Cape Times