Politicians, actors, members of platforms and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as anonymous citizens, took part this Saturday in Lisbon in a march demanding the liberation of Palestine and an end to genocide.
The march, organized by the Palestine Liberation Collective under the slogan “End Genocide. Free Palestine, now!”, brought together thousands of people who marched through the streets of Lisbon between the Municipal Square and the Assembly of the Republic.
Amid the sound of drums and applause, thousands of protesters made themselves heard, shouting various slogans, the loudest of which were “free, free Palestine” and “Today and always Free Palestine.”
Carrying Palestinian flags and the territory’s traditional scarf, the keffiyeh, protesters also displayed banners reading: “Free and independent Palestine”, “peace in the Middle East”, “ceasefire” and “end to aggression”.
Holding a sign that read “one Holocaust does not justify another,” António Ferreira very emotionally told Lusa that “it is unthinkable for people to do nothing and watch the genocide live.”
“It is completely unthinkable that in the 21st century we are witnessing the murder of children, women, young people. This is an incredible thing,” he said, noting that he participated in the march to demonstrate “rejection and rebellion against this criminal situation.” “.
In turn, Sandra Machado of the United Palestine Solidarity Platform told Lusa that peace can only be achieved when “there is a free Palestine and when the occupation by the State of Israel ends.”
“Our call is not only for an immediate ceasefire, which is extremely important, but also for an end to this occupation,” he stressed, given that this becomes “very difficult when there is an international community that is not making enough efforts to boycott Israel.” “.
Sandra Machado also said the international community must say: “Enough with Israel, a state that occupies territory and commits genocide.”
BE coordinator Mariana Mortagua told reporters that participation in the demonstration “means support and solidarity with the Israeli victims of the massacre in the Gaza Strip” and a call for “an immediate ceasefire.”
“Gaza is currently the largest children’s cemetery in the world. At the moment there are 12 thousand dead, 68% – children, women, youth, journalists, UN representatives and hospitals are being bombed,” said Mariana Mortagua, considering this “a policy of genocide and destruction of Israel.”
Regarding the role of the Portuguese government, the leader of the Left Bloc stressed that institutions must “put pressure on this massacre” to end it.
“Israel must be forced, it must be forced to stop the massacre, it must be forced to stop the deaths, and it must be forced by the same means that the international community used to stop apartheid in South Africa. The same means and the same force that Portugal used. stop the occupation of Timor at a time when there is a call for peace and an end to the occupation of Indonesia,” he said.
In this sense, he appealed to the Portuguese government and Portuguese institutions to force “Israel to stop this massacre, to boycott imports from the settlements, to interfere in Portuguese diplomacy, recognizing the right of Palestine to have an independent state, which the Portuguese government did not do.” I haven’t done it yet.”
PCP MP Bruno Dias also asked Portugal to recognize Palestine’s right to an independent state.
Bruno Dias, who is also a member of the Portugal-Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Group, added that the PKP “strives to give voice, strength” and solidarity to the Palestinian people.
The MP stressed the importance of initiatives such as those this Saturday, when “so many people raised their voices in solidarity against this massacre and the war crimes that are being committed” against the people of Palestine.
“It is very important that we can come together and unite our will and strength on this path of solidarity with the people of Palestine,” he said.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.