A coalition of workers, political parties, and civil society groups gathered outside the United States Consulate in Cape Town on Friday, April 10, marking the third consecutive anti-imperialist protest calling for an end to wars in the Middle East.
More than 100 demonstrators took part in the picket, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), alongside groups including South African Jews for a Free Palestine and Healthcare Workers 4 Palestine South Africa. Political parties such as the African National Congress, Economic Freedom Fighters, and others also joined the mobilization.
Protesters waved flags from Palestine, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and Lebanon, chanting slogans such as “Free Palestine” and “Free Iran,” while condemning what they described as US-led imperialist intervention across multiple regions.
Placards reading “Boycott Apartheid Israel” and “US, you can’t hide, you are funding genocide” were displayed, as demonstrators called for sanctions, arms embargoes, and the dismantling of US military bases worldwide.
The protest coincided with the anniversary of the assassination of anti-apartheid leader Chris Hani. Hani was a leader of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and chief of staff of uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the former armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). He was a fierce opponent of the apartheid government, and was assassinated by Janusz Waluś, a sympathiser of the Conservative opposition on 10 April 1993.
Opening the program, PSC coordinator Yusuf Chikte invoked Hani’s legacy, “They tried many years ago to assassinate Chris Hani… Long live the militancy and radicalism of Chris Hani and the anti-imperialist stand he took,” Chikte told the crowd.
Organizers framed the demonstration as part of a broader campaign against what they called an “illegal, unprovoked war” by the United States and ‘Israel’ on Iran, warning that the conflict has led to widespread civilian casualties and regional instability.
“We are calling for a ceasefire in all these areas. We can’t keep quiet while innocent people are dying on a daily basis. This is a war against humanity,” said Malvern De Bruyn of the Congress of South African Trade Unions.
Protesters also expressed concern over escalating violence in Lebanon, where recent ‘Israeli’ attacks have displaced large numbers of civilians, according to humanitarian agencies.
READ: ‘Israel’ intensifies strikes on Lebanon as Iran warns US over ‘killing diplomacy’
The demonstration follows earlier protests in January and forms part of a continuing series of mobilizations opposing US foreign policy and expressing solidarity with countries targeted by military and economic pressure.
