As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza intensified, people in Cardiff who care about the situation in Palestine organised a march and a scholar gave a speech.
Hundreds of people gathered on Queen Street in Cardiff in support of Palestine last Saturday, with a speech by Palestinian author and scientist Mazin Qumsiyeh.
Participants in the march gathered in pro-Palestinian clothing, carrying signs and flags at 1 p.m near the Canal Quarter. They handed out homemade leaflets and copies of newspapers calling for an end to the war. Then Mazin Qumsiyeh came into the crowd and began to speak.
“We are not the weak, we are the majority. The people who profit from war are the minority,” he told the crowd. “It’s also a battle that we’re struggling for ourselves. We need freedom from the Western countries and the war machines that continue their colonial crimes across the world.”
Qumsiyeh condemned Israel’s long history of oppression of the Palestinians and criticized the role of multiple Governments in that process and called for continued community solidarity, protests and lobbying.
He also referred to the upcoming parliamentary debate in the United Kingdom on December 16, which he hoped would push for an end to British arms exports to Israel. And he appealed for global solidarity with Palestinian freedom, stressing that this struggle is closely linked to other just struggles around the globe.
This demonstration comes as the situation in Palestine continues to deteriorate. More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip since a new round of fighting broke out in October last year.
But draft UN Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire have been repeatedly blocked by the United States. According to a the Guardian report, on Nov. 20 the U.S. vetoed a draft resolution in the U.N. Security Council calling for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
Many people are distributing newspapers to call for people’s awareness. Protester Phil, 61, said:“The Palestinians are oppressed by the Israelis. This is not only because Israel itself is doing this, but also because Israel is supported by Western powers who are actually doing this to control the Middle East and to ensure that they can keep control.”
“I feel painful,” said protester Victoria, a 52-year-old office worker in Cardiff. “It needs to cease fire. It must cease fire. I want the Palestinians to be able to get a state that they are not afraid of because Israel keeps trying to kill them and occupy their land.”
After Qumsiyeh’s speech, the crowd held up their flags and banners and marched down Queen Street chanting “Free, free Palestine”.