{"id":54565,"date":"2024-02-08T10:31:47","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T10:31:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shefnews.co.uk\/?p=54565"},"modified":"2024-04-25T11:15:44","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T11:15:44","slug":"protestors-plead-for-sheffield-to-be-an-apartheid-free-zone-in-support-of-gaza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shefnews.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/02\/08\/protestors-plead-for-sheffield-to-be-an-apartheid-free-zone-in-support-of-gaza\/","title":{"rendered":"Protestors plead for Sheffield to be an apartheid free zone in support of Gaza"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Campaigners stood outside of Sheffield Town Hall in support of Gaza as Sheffield City Council hosted their first full meeting of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStop the genocide\u201d was chanted by protestors in Fargate, Sheffield yesterday which took place yesterday as part of the Stand With Gaza movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lena Mussa, an immigration and Human Rights lawyer from Sheffield, said: \u201cI am here to raise awareness that we are ashamed of our government, and of our council for not declaring Sheffield as a free apartheid zone and in support of our justice cause for the Palestinians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAround 30,000 people have died in Palestine. Over 20 of those are children and we are just asking to stop the complicit murder, to the genocide, to the ethnic cleansing because it is not a war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is not a conflict. It is ethnic cleansing. There is nothing complicated about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"One
One of the protestors taking part in #standforgaza<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lena was one of two Palestinian women who camped outside the town hall for eight days in January to gain attention for the cause, the other being Sahar Awadallah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When questioned on what action she hoped the council would make as a result of the protest Lena said: \u201cAt least to declare Sheffield as a free apartheid zone like what they did for South Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their campaign was similar to one taking place in the 1980s which led Sheffield to be the first city in the UK to reject racial segregation in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added: \u201cWe don\u2019t want to see any discrimination, especially for students in schools and universities and also employers at work. A lot of students are being discriminated against just for saying they stand with Palestine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recalling one example she said: \u201cEven a Palestinian kid as young as six years old who has family in Gaza who are being killed, said \u2018I feel bad, I am crying for Palestine\u2019 was accused of anti-semi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“For a child not to be sympathized with his family. It is disgusting, so I think the Councils should be aware of what the schools are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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