More than 200 people gathered outside the United States Consulate in Steenberg, Cape Town, to protest Washington’s support for Israel, and more pointedly, its financial and military backing of the genocide in Gaza, Palestine.
The protesters included anti-apartheid activists, human rights defenders, trade unionists, political party representatives, healthcare workers, and members of South African Jews for a Free Palestine, among several other organisations.
The peaceful protest, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), demanded an end to the genocide in Gaza and denounced US imperialist policies seen as contributing to the oppression of Palestinians.
A heavy police presence, including an anti-riot vehicle, surrounded the entrance to the consulate. White flowers were carefully laid in front of the consulate in a symbolic gesture mourning the loss of innocent Palestinian lives to imperialistic forces.
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This was not the first demonstration at the consulate. During a previous protest on November 29, activists issued a list of demands, including: A full and unconditional ceasefire; An end to the genocide in Gaza and all occupied Palestinian territories; End all weapons sales and military aid to Israel; Immediate humanitarian relief, including food, shelter, healthcare, water, and electricity and basic services for Palestinians; US compliance with international law and UN resolutions on Palestine; An end to illegal wars, regime change operations, sanctions, and embargoes against sovereign nations; And enforcement of International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli leaders accused of war crimes.
To date, the US Embassy has not responded to these demands. As a result, no new memorandum was submitted during the latest protest.
In a statement released ahead of the protest, the PSC said: “The United States continues to defy the United Nations and international law by providing political cover and military support to Israel. The US administration has approved billions of dollars in arms sales to Israel while
threatening countries like South Africa for pursuing justice at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).”
The statement also condemned recent US airstrikes in Yemen, saying they further destabilise the region and increase the risk of a wider war in the Middle East.
Protesters accused the US of retaliating against South Africa’s legal action at the ICJ and principled stance on Palestinian rights by cutting vital health funding and threatening trade access, calling it an attempt to silence opposition to its imperialist agenda.
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There were strong calls for continued and intensified global mobilisations, including the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel. Protesters also urged the South African government to expel the Israeli ambassador and prosecute South African citizens fighting for Israel.
PSC convenor Usuf Chikte said: “We are calling for the United States to stop its complicity and its genocidal support for the State of Israel. They need to stop their arms, financial aid, diplomatic cover, and intelligence — all of which create the conditions for Israel to commit genocide. We’re saying we won’t let them off the hook. We want the US to stop persecuting South Africa, end the trade restrictions it is imposing on us, and stop the humiliation of our ambassador. And so we are going to apply as much pressure as we can to ensure that the United States is exposed and all other imperialist countries like Germany, France, England in terms of their support of Israel. Without that support, the Israelis won’t be able to conduct the genocide and uphold apartheid. And they do it because they want to pillage the region and they have the support of the despots, the Arab despots which are trying to silence everybody around them.”
Chikte also called on countries to halt the normalisation of relations with Israel.
