SOUTH AFRICA MARCHES FOR PALESTINE

Actions in solidarity with the Palestinian people have continued in Africa and around the world.

On Saturday, 4 November, marches took place in support of Palestine, including outside the US consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa. Then about 300,000 people marched in Washington, making it the largest demonstration for Palestine in US history, according to organisers. The day prior, on the western coast of the United States, protesters said they were blocking a ship at the port of Oakland to prevent it from transporting weapons to Israel.

Such actions called for a ceasefire and a just solution to the Palestine question. Since 7 October, Israel has indiscriminately bombed the Gaza Strip, a 25-mile-long enclave of 2 million people. Half its population are children. Israel claims it has only targeted Palestinian resistance group Hamas. However, civilian murders have been recorded in the West Bank, where Hamas has no presence. Israeli air strikes have been recorded on sites, such as refugee camps and hospitals, which would qualify as war crimes, per the Geneva Conventions. These attacks have killed close to 10,000 civilians, with more than 4,000 being children.

International outcry is mounting, especially against the United States, which is seen as bankrolling the genocide of Palestinians. The United States has been the largest funder of Israel since its establishment in 1948. Plus, in 2016, US President Barack Obama signed a $38 billion military-aid package to be distributed over a 10-year period to Israel. Then, on Friday, the US House of Representatives passed a $14 billion package to the Zionist state. All of this comes as more than a half-million people are homeless in the United States, the country's infrastructure has been crumbling and student loan forgiveness for about 45 million debtors is not on the radar.

Let us know if you have attended recent marches.