Photo: Statue of iconic anti-apartheid activist, Moses Mabhida, lit up with the Palestinian flag [Twitter]
A famous anti-apartheid statue of Moses Mabhidahas been lit up with the Palestinian flag in solidarity with the Palestinians following Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza Strip and Israeli violence in the occupied West Bank.
30 May 2021 | Staff | The New Arab
A statue of an iconic anti-apartheid activist is being lit up with the flag of Palestine in Durban, South Africa to protest Israel’s recent aggression in Gaza and East Jerusalem and a sign of solidarity with Palestinians.
Images of the statue of Moses Mabhida lit up with the flag of Palestine quickly circulated online, prompting people across the world to voice their support for the move by the Durban community.
“The world is finally waking up, I hope,” wrote Facebook user Ash Kotak, under a photograph of the statue.
“Amazing, thank you,” wrote another user named Malvina Awwad De Salvao.
Durban has had a wealth of pro-Palestine activity in the past couple of weeks.
The Durban community earlier hosted a Free Palestine march earlier this week, which was attended by several local politicians and human rights groups.
“This past month, in 11 days, the Israeli regime killed over 230 people including more than 65 children. Among those murdered were three pregnant women – one who was eight months pregnant. The pain of the Palestinian orphan, widow or parent who has lost a family member is our pain,” Tisetso Magama, a community organiser and spokesperson for “Africa 4 Palestine”, told local reporters.
Earlier this month port workers belonging to a workers union named SATAWU refused to offload cargo from an Israeli ship in protest against the country’s bombardment of the besieged Gaza strip.
The Palestinian cause has long enjoyed support from South Africa, particularly among key figures in the anti-Apartheid movement, including the late president Nelson Mandela.
In the wake of the recent Israeli violence against Palestinians, pro-Palestine protests have been held across the world, including in the UK capital of London and across other major cities in Europe, as well as nationwide protests in the US.
Social media campaigns continue to raise awareness on the occupied West Bank and blockaded Gaza, which saw the worst violence from Israel since 2014, and the forced expulsions of Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem.
Last week Israel announced a shaky ceasefire and an end to official aggressions. However, as violence against Palestinians in Jerusalem continued and the blockade of Gaza remains, critics and activists believe that the demonstrations and show of solidarity must go on.
