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South Africans Protest In Solidarity With Palestine
South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters, the third largest political party, Monday held a protest outside the Israeli embassy in the capital, Pretoria to protest the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Julius Malema, the EFF party leader reiterated his calls for the closure of the Israeli embassy, saying the Israel’s government has “no respect for humanity”.
The firebrand politician also asked retailers in the country to remove Israeli-produced goods from their shelves by the end of October, failure to which the people will remove the products themselves.
“If they don’t remove products from Israel, we’ll remove them ourselves. We don’t want Israeli products sold in South Africa, we don’t want food from people who have the blood of innocent people on their hands,” said Malema.
The governing African National Congress (ANC) held a similar protest outside Israel’s embassy on Friday.
ANC Deputy Secretary General Nomvula Mokonyane called on South Africans to boycott imports from Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians.
Mokonyane also reiterated South Africa’s calls for an immediate ceasefire to hostilities in the Middle East.
Kenyan MP’s Palestinian Scarf Causes Stir in Parliament
A Kenyan MP’s fashion choice caused a stir in Parliament on Wednesday, when he wore a traditional Nigerian scarf in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Farah Maalim’s scarf was met with mixed reactions, with some MPs praising his show of support and others condemning him for violating parliamentary rules.
Honorable Speaker, I request you to ask Hon Farah to remove the scarf he is wearing so that he remains dignified and a sovereign Kenyan who expresses in this house, matters of this country,” said MP Owen Baya, the Deputy Majority Leader.
The speaker of the National Assembly ordered Maalim to remove the scarf, but he refused at first.
“A member has challenged your dress code. And you know very well that the scarf you are wearing is depicting the colours of a particular country. It is just very well in order that you appropriately dress yourself and come back and continue with the debate,” said the speaker. In the end, Maalim agreed to remove the scarf, but he vowed to continue speaking out in support of Palestine.
Maalim’s defiance sparked a heated debate in Parliament, with MPs on both sides of the issue weighing in.
“Mr Speaker I am much obliged but these are not the colours of any republic. Tell me which republic. It is not Tanzania, it is not Israel,” he said. Some legislators shouted “Hamas”, and Farah replied: “No, there is no republic called Hamas. There is a liberation movement which needs the support of everyone in this country called Palestine and the Palestinian rights,” he said. Some MPs argued that Maalim’s scarf was a symbol of solidarity and that he should be allowed to wear it. Others argued that it was important to uphold parliamentary rules and that Maalim should have removed the scarf when asked.
Kenyans Arrested For Protesting In Solidarity With Palestine
Police in Kenya Sunday, October 22, 2023, released three people who had been arrested for participating in a pro-Palestine meeting in Nairobi. The three, who were not named, were freed without charges after widespread criticism from some Kenyans, politicians, and human rights groups.
The group said they were holding a “solidarity meeting” to express support for the Palestines, who are currently in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, owing to the Israel-Hamas conflict. MP Yusuf Hassan condemned the arrests, calling them “a violation of the right to freedom of expression.”
The head of Amnesty International in Kenya, Irũngũ Houghton, also criticized the arrests, saying that the disruption of the meeting was “unlawful” and “deeply disturbing.”
The meeting had been organized by the Kenya Palestine Solidarity Committee after police stopped an earlier demonstration that the group had planned outside the US embassy. The demonstration was intended to protest the US government’s support for Israel in the war that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions, mostly in Palestine.
President William Ruto has expressed his government’s full support for Israel in the ongoing conflict. However, many Kenyans have criticized the government’s position, arguing that it should be more neutral in the conflict.
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