Pro-Palestinian activists seem to have hijacked the civil society march on the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.
The activists flooded the Alexandra stadium, north of Johannesburg, the launching point for Saturday’s march, with banners, posters and leaflets condemning Israel as a rogue state.
Several of the protestors carried Palestinian flags and one group of women wore ”toxic apartheid Israel” t-shirts.
The hardline against Israel appears to have the backing of the African National Congress (ANC), co-organisers of the march. A massive ANC banner proclaiming solidarity with the Palestinian people was attached to the roof of the VIP tent at the stadium.
Education Minister Kader Asmal was seen in conversation with the Palestinian ambassador near the tent.
Some of the banners demanded Israel ends it nuclear programme, others equated Zionism with Nazism and racism and urged a boycott of Israel.
One of the protestors, a young man from Pretoria, who identified himself only as Mohammed, said the situation in Palestine had everything to do with sustainable development.
”The whole conference is about sustainability. How can there be sustainability in Palestine if there is occupation, if the homes are broken down all the time?
”Since last year they – the Israeli government – has cut down 700 000 trees. Eighty percent of the water is controlled by them.
”How can you have sustainability if you are killing all the young people? It’s all related. It’s not jumping on the bandwagon.”
Earlier South African Council of Churches bishop Jeoff Davids said the state of the world was ”an affront to God”.
An Alexandra community leader said Alexandra has the highest unemployment rate in Gauteng and called for sustainable development which would improve the lives of the township people.
Congress of SA Trade Unions president Willie Madisha told the crowd that those who wanted to attack Palestinians, ”those people and those countries are terrorists”.
He said the US could not condemn terrorism and at the same time allow what was happening in the Middle East to continue.
President Thabo Mbeki arrived at the pre-march rally shortly before noon as a trio of police helicopters circled noisily overhead. – Sapa