'Red line' Gaza protest that surrounded White House comes to Wales

Martin Shipton

A half-a-kilometre-long piece of red fabric that protesters used to surround the White House is coming to Wales on Saturday October 12.

Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters are expected to march through Cardiff city centre this weekend carrying a symbolic '”red line” which has travelled from Washington DC.

The symbol was adopted after the US and UK governments told the world that Israel launching an all-out assault on Rafah in Gaza was their red line, and then allowed an assault to happen.

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'Arms sales'

The “From Cardiff to Palestine - We Are the Red Line” march assembles at 1pm on Saturday in Churchill Way. Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, is expected to address the march before it sets off. Protesters are calling for an immediate end to Britain's arms sales to Israel.

Asma Saïdani, a sociologist and local parent said: "We will be highlighting the ways in which Israel has crossed red lines in order to perpetuate the genocide of Palestinians. It is crucial that the people of Wales join us in carrying the red line in order to show support and solidarity with the Palestinian cause. We must do everything we can, as a society, to oppose and reject all forms of oppression against the Palestinian people."

Adam Johannes of Cardiff Stop the War Coalition said: "Our Red Line isn’t some empty slogan, but a symbol born from betrayal. When the US and UK promised Rafah was a line Israel could never cross, they lied.

"Now, Israel has ordered the forced displacement of 400,000 Palestinians from northern Gaza, targeting hospitals, food, even the press. This nightmare could end - if only the UK and US would cut the weapons supply to Israel and stand for humanity. The millions marching around the world for a Ceasefire Now must be the Red Line that Israel cannot cross."

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Rafah

Online publicity for the event says: "How many times have we heard of this so-called red line? Too many times, and every time a lie. The invasion of Rafah was a red line. The bombing of schools and hospitals was a red line. The murder of our journalists, doctors, and aid workers is a red line.

“We say no more for our government to decide what the red line is. We, the people, are the red line. We are here to tell the government that a genocide is the red line. Israel is committing a genocide, and if our government is too weak to call a red line, then we will."

The key slogans of the march are “Ceasefire Now. Stop Arming Israel. End Apartheid. Freedom for Palestine”.

The protest march is supported by a coalition of groups including Cardiff Stop the War Coalition, Cardiff Palestine Alliance,Muslim Association of Britain, Black Lives Matter, Stand Up for Palestine, Palestine Solidarity Movement, Cardiff Palestine Solidarity Campaign, South Wales Jews for Collective Liberation, Cymru Queers for Palestine, Caerdydd Students for Palestine and others.