News / protest
Protesters mark 77th anniversary of Palestinian ‘Nakba’
On May 15 1948, following the creation of the independent state of Israel, the Arab-Israeli war began, leading to the mass displacement of thousands of Palestinian people.
On Saturday, hundreds gathered in Castle Park to remember the first day of that war – what many Palestinians describe as ‘the Nakba’ – and to protest against the displacement and suffering of people in Gaza during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Castle Park on Saturday
The word Nakba means catastrophe in Arabic.
After first gathering in Castle Park at around midday, protesters marched around the city centre before returning to the park later that afternoon.
Many Palestinians refer to the start of the Arab-Israeli war in 1948 as ‘the Nakba’
The protest was organised by the Bristol Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Bristol Stop the War Coalition in collaboration with several other local groups including Bristol Apartheid-Free Zone and the Bristol Trades
Union Council.
Speakers at the protest included Green Party MP Carla Denyer, Green councillor Abdul Malik and Roger Thomas of the Bristol Trades Union Council.
Carla Denyer, Green Party co-leader and MP for Bristol Central, spoke at the event
In the lead-up to the event, Ben Jamal, the director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said: “There is hope in the millions around the world who clearly and loudly continue to show their support for justice in Palestine – a
movement that is spreading from country to country, city to city, campus to campus.
“Let us ensure that the Nakba can never be repeated.
“The historic decision by Bristol City Council to commit to divesting for Palestine is leading the way in ending our country’s shameful economic, political, and military complicity in Israel’s actions.”
All photos: Rob Browne
Read next:
- Protesters call for Bristol City Council to ‘divest for Palestine’
- Ambulance workers remember Palestinian paramedics killed in Gaza
- Pension consultation to take place on arms trade investments
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