Thousands gather for Nakba Day rally

THOUSANDS of people gathered at the Castle of Good Hope yesterday to celebrate the remembrance of Nakba Day, which marked 77 years of Palestinians’ dispossession.

- MANYANE MANYANE

They joined tens of thousands who rallied across the world in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel's war on Gaza and to mark the 1948 attack on Palestinians, remembered as the Nakba, or catastrophe.

The Nakba resulted in the permanent mass displacement of Palestinians after the creation of Israel in 1948.

The Nakba Day Rally was a peaceful, family-friendly event, open to all who wish to stand against oppression.

Attendees carried Palestinian flags, placards, and their voices.

Those who marched said that history is repeating itself as the second Nakba unfolds as Israel plans for the total destruction in Gaza.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) said as Israel's brutal assault on Gaza and the West Bank intensifies - targeting civilians, journalists, medics and aid workers - the world cannot remain silent.

The PSC said the rally was part of a global wave of solidarity actions, answering the call of Palestinian workers for an end to complicity in Israel's apartheid.

The speakers included human rights activists, community leaders, trade unionists and artists, all lending their voices to the call for freedom and justice.

The PSC demanded a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. It also called for an end to all arms sales to Israel and justice and freedom for Palestinians