A protest rally was organized on 19 May in Clermont-Ferrand France, marking the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, in support of Palestinians in Gaza organizing the Great March of Return and calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel.
The protest also came in response to Israeli massacres, in which the Israeli army killed over 100 Palestinians and wounded 10,000, including many serious leg injuries, since 30 March. The Israeli army fired on peaceful protesters marching in Gaza for their right to return, 70 years after the 1948 Nakba, and in protest of Israeli colonization and apartheid in Palestine.
Après une chaîne humaine, la manifestation en solidarité des morts palestiniens part de la place de Jaude pour rejoindre la place de la Victoire. Aux cris de « Israël Assasin, Macron Complice » #Palestine pic.twitter.com/T0AzGMqg7s
— France Bleu Pays d'Auvergne (@FBAuvergne) May 19, 2018
The protest was called by 36 organizations and began at 3:00 pm with a large human chain with keffiyehs. Over 1,000 people joined the march through the downtown area before the demonstration re-convened in the Place de la Victoire.
The demonstrators posted a sign renaming the square, Place de la Nakba, before children released 70 balloons to commemorate the Nakba.
Speakers presented the history of the Nakba and called for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel, emphasizing the importance of collective action for BDS and an arms embargo on Israel as a means of supporting the Palestinian struggle. The event was joined by three elected officials in the area and received media coverage from several local mainstream outlets.
