In a powerful display of solidarity with Palestine, thousands of Pakistanis took to the streets in the old city of Karachi to protest against Israeli atrocities in Gaza.
The protest, dubbed ‘The Million Man March for Gaza’, saw demonstrators from various walks of life across Pakistan voicing their anger at the Israeli regime and demanding an end to the violence that has engulfed the region for months.
Our demands, first of all, ceasefire immediately; we demand the freedom of Palestine from the river to the sea.
And we demand Israel to be taken into accountability [sic] for all the crimes they have committed against the Palestinian nation.
Protestor 01
The March had a massive turnout, with protesters chanting slogans to condemn the Israeli massacre in Gaza.
Meanwhile, civil society activists and Palestinian students studying at Pakistani universities also held demonstrations in solidarity with the people of Gaza, praising South Africa for taking a bold step by filing a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
I think we can all learn from South Africa; the way they have stood up for Palestine when no other country stood by them.
We are so proud of South Africa and I feel that our government can learn from them.
If we want to we can really make a difference.
We can join the petition.
Protestor 02
The protesters called on other nations to support South Africa’s initiative and urged the International Court of Justice to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged atrocities committed by Israeli forces in Gaza.
South Africa, could not even think would come into and having this whole thing taken up by them.
It should have been Saudi Arabia, it should have been (the) UAE, it should have been Jordan, it would have been other Muslim countries, but the leaders are just watching. They’re just watching, you know, and they’re not doing anything.
Protestor 03
The demonstrations for Gaza highlight a widespread sentiment among Pakistanis against the unwavering support of the US, and its Western allies, for Israel’s actions in the region.
These marches provide a platform for Pakistanis to vocally condemn Israeli forces for their atrocities against the Palestinian population.
