The Stark Reality of South Africa’s Pro-Hamas Marches: An Open Display of Extremism

This past weekend, a series of marches took place in South Africa, marked not by calls for peace or solidarity but by open support for extremist groups like Hamas. With banners, flags, and slogans celebrating organizations known for their violent attacks on civilians, these gatherings present a troubling reality that cannot be ignored.

One such image from the Cape Town march on October 5, 2024, prominently displays a banner proclaiming "We Are All Hamas," beneath Palestinian flags and loudspeakers. The symbolism is clear—this was not a rally for human rights or peaceful resolution, but rather a direct endorsement of Hamas, a group that has long been recognized for its deliberate targeting of civilians.

Participants in this march did not hesitate to align themselves with an organization, that has carried out numerous acts of terror, as recently as the October 7th massacre in Israel last year, where over 1,200 Israelis were killed and hundreds taken hostage.

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In another photo taken at the march, posted to anti-Israel media company Salaamedia’s x,com account, a banner showing the "Axis of Resistance" prominently features the faces of several notorious figures linked to terrorism, including leaders from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah. These are individuals who have orchestrated attacks targeting civilians—men, women, and children. These included:

Abdul-Malik al-Houthi (from Yemen, leader of the Houthi movement),

Abu Obeida (the spokesperson for Hamas’ military wing),

Ziyad al-Nakhalah (Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad),

Imad Mughniyeh (Hezbollah’s former military commander, known for planning attacks),

Qasem Soleimani (the late commander of Iran’s Quds Force),

Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (the Iraqi commander of Kata’ib Hezbollah, who was killed alongside Soleimani).

Ismail Haniyeh (the previous political leader of Hamas),

Yahya Sinwar (the Hamas Political leader in Gaza), and

Hassan Nasrallah (the late Secretary-General of Hezbollah).

The presence of such imagery leaves no doubt about the message these protests were sending.

This image from the Cape Town march also shows a placard reading "Death to Israel, Death to Zionism," held by women standing in front of a mosque. The banner is marked with red, bloodied handprints, a reference to the infamous lynching of two Israelis in Ramallah in 2000.

During that brutal event, Palestinians dragged the bodies of the soldiers through the streets, and one man, Abdel-Aziz Salha (recently killed in an Israeli air strike) , proudly displayed his bloodied hands to the crowd from a window. The bloodstains on the banner are a direct nod to this act of violence and hatred, glorifying the brutal killing of Israelis and evoking memories of the murder of civilians as something to be celebrated.

The mass march to Parliament, was attended by groups such as Gift Of The Givers Foundation, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Africa4Palestine (previously known as BDS-SA), South African Jews for a Free Palestine (SAJFP), and others, was billed as a demonstration against "genocide" and "apartheid" allegedly committed by Israel.

However, the tone of the event, as seen in these images and videos, was far from a peaceful protest against human rights abuses. The slogans and placards did not call for peaceful solutions or negotiations but for the isolation and destruction of Israel. The placard reading "Death to Israel, Death to Zionism" held by women in front of a mosque and the chants of “We are Hamas” is a stark example of how deeply entrenched these sentiments have become.

Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman, the founder of Gift of the Givers, shockingly used his platform to spew conspiracy theories, accusing ‘Zionists’ of controlling the world through money and fear, a well-worn trope rooted in antisemitism:

“Every time we protested; the Zionists were too clever. They were arrogant, acting with impunity, put fear into you. They put fear into corporate corporations, into universities, into communities, into governments, into political parties, into associations. They run the world with fear. They control the world with money. And every time they say something, they terrify you and they say it's anti-Semitic. But I've got a message for them. Find a new narrative.”

Despite his reputation as a humanitarian, Sooliman’s rhetoric shows where his sympathies lie.

The Muslim Judicial Councils (MJC) Riad Fatar, and PAGAD have made it clear: they are Hamas. The ANC, in its typical fashion, echoed similar sentiments. By making declarations like “We are Hamas,” they align themselves not with the cause of Palestinian self-determination but with terror and the indiscriminate killing of civilians, this is what Hamas does. PAGAD, has a history of terrorism in South Africa. Known for its violent extremist activities in the 1990s, PAGAD orchestrated bombings of synagogues, such as the Wynberg Shul, and engaged in other acts of terror.

And then there are the ever-confused South African Jews for a Free Palestine, a group so blinded by their self-righteousness that they’ve lost all connection to reality. There’s a stark difference between criticizing Israeli policies and supporting organizations that actively target and murder Jewish civilians. Yet this group, by marching alongside extremists, has chosen to stand with people who would see their fellow Jews wiped out. This isn’t solidarity, it’s a case of " one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."

The fact that a picket demonstration was also scheduled for October 7, 2024, outside the Durban Holocaust and Genocide Centre, adds another layer of irony and disrespect to these events. To hold such a protest at a site commemorating the victims of the Holocaust, while waving flags and chanting slogans in support of organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, is indeed something to behold.

Let us be clear: the images captured from these marches are not of peaceful protests for Palestinian self-determination. They are a stark reminder of the increasing support for extremism and terrorism, thinly veiled as human rights advocacy. The flags of Hamas and Hezbollah, the calls for the death and destruction of Israel, Zionists, and the glorification of known terrorist groups are not acts of solidarity.

As South Africans, we must confront the reality of what these marches represent. They are not movements for peace or justice, but public displays of hatred and extremism that should concern every citizen.

The open endorsement of groups whose violent actions have claimed the lives of countless civilians, should be condemned in no uncertain terms. These protests, rather than being platforms for meaningful dialogue, have become celebrations of heinous act, and this is a dangerous path for South Africa and the world to walk.