By Kouthar Sambo
The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC) was on the ground on Wednesday to showcase their solidarity with the besieged Palestinians. The mass action took place in Newlands as the Proteas vs India test was underway.
Pro-Palestine activists were present to wave their flag and posters, though security was tight. Speaking on VOC’s Holiday Shift show on Wednesday, PSC’s Usuf Chikte said the aim was to kill two birds with one stone, which was to enjoy the game while demonstrating their support with Palestine.
“The police were there in full force, and they blocked our right to assemble, our right to free speech and expression. It seems as if the South African police (SAPS) do not know what our right to protest entails,” proclaimed Chikte.
We were also there to express our dissatisfaction that national U-19 skipper David Teeger supports the Israeli army, explained Chikte, and we were appalled that Cricket South Africa has not made a statement against his support for the IDF.
According to Chikte, Teeger is unfit to captain an under-19 team due to the values he holds of supporting a “genocidal army.”
“Cricket South Africa was brave enough to ask the Proteas to bend the knee when “Black Lives Matter” took the forefront since they were forced to do so when the West Indies took the knee,” added Chikte.
They would not allow us to go in with our Palestinian paraphernalia, detailed Chikte, as the one colonel told me that the slogan on my t-shirt was racist, and they frogmarched us out of the area.
“We are thinking of laying a charge at the IPAS Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) regarding the behaviour of the police as this is totally unacceptable,” reiterated Chikte.
Photo: Supplied
