Nakba Anniversary Marked All Over the World
Featured image: Demonstrators carry a large Palestinian flag during a rally in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Source: Al Jazeera
The 15th of May marks 78 years since the ‘Nakba’, or the ‘catastrophy’, referring to the systematic ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians from their homeland, where over a two-year long period, Israeli paramilitary forces attacked mayor Palestinian cities and destroyed around 530 villages, around 750,000 Palestinians were driven out of their homeland, and about 15,000 were murdered, occupying 78% of historic Palestine under what was to become the State of Israel. This day is marked every year by Palestinians in a ‘March of return’ both inside the territories occupied by Israel and abroad, as well as by the Palestine solidarity movement all over the world. We share here some of the demonstrations, actions and statements issued on this occasion.
In the past days, the State of Israel has also carried out a campaign of repression against Palestinians, both in the West Bank and in Gaza.
On the 14th of May, hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed Al-Aqsa in an attempt at preventing Palestinians from attending prayer, as part of the so-called “Jerusalem Flag March”, marking the foundation of the State of Israel.
Despite their attempts, reports are saying that 75,000 Palestinians attended the prayer ceremony at Al-Aqsa, in defiance of the settlers attempts at repression.
Israeli settlers murdered a teenager amidst the Nakba demonstrations taking place in the West Bank and also set fire to a mosque near Ramallah. Settlers attacked Palestinian homes in the town of Al-Lubban al-Sharqiya, south of Nablus, and murdered a 16-year old hours later in the same town.
In Ramallah, in the West Bank, a massive March of Return demonstration was carried out, carrying a massive Palestinian flag and keys representing the homes left behind by the displaced. The march was attended by hundreds of displaced Palestinian refugees.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine issued a statement on the 15th of May, for the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, below we share an unofficial translation published by Red Flag News from Britain:
Palestinian Resistance Factions including PFLP, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have a issued statement, reaffirming the right to resistance in all its forms, the rights of refugees, and a rejection of escalating displacement policies.
Read the statement by the resistance here:
In Jordan, Nakba demonstrations were carried out in Amman and several other governorates, voicing “continued support for the Palestinian people until they achieve their legitimate rights and establish an independent state on their national soil, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
In Ankara, Turkey, Partizan carried out a demonstration on the occasion of the Nakba-day.
In Oslo, Norway, during the ‘Visit the Westbank’ demonstration, marking the Nakba, Kampkomiteen participated in a struggling anti-imperialist bloc with banners reading: “Long live the Palestinian resistance! Free Palestine!”, “No support for the Israeli genocide!” and “Stop PST’s persecution of Palestine activists!” [PST: Norwegian Police Security Service]. Slogans such as “Yalla, yalla intifada!”, and “Long live the resistance struggle!” was chanted throughout the march and leaflets were distributed.
The International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) released a statement on the 78th commemoration of the Nakba, you can read it here:
The Communist Youth of France have published a poster on the occasion of the 78 years since the Nakba.
Anti-imperialist Collective of Finland published a poster on its Instagram account, with the following slogans: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”, “The right to return is inalienable!”, “Peoples are rising against the imperialism!” and “The Zionist occupier is doomed!”.
The Communist Party of Greece (marxist-leninist) [KKE (m-l] has called for a Nakba demonstration in Thessaloniki, and shared the statement of the KKE (m-l) on the occasion, which you can read here:
