Thousands gathered on Saturday, April 27, for the Communist Party of Israel (CPI) and Hadash May Day parade in Nazareth, this after the police confiscated last Friday equipment and flags from the Hadash and CPI branch in the city ahead of the march.
At Paulus Street in Nazareth, between the red flags and flags of Palestine, banners were carried against the deadly war in Gaza, occupation of the Palestinian territories, US imperialism, capitalism and in favor of the dignity of the working class. Young Communist League orchestras filled the air with the sound of drums.
Among those who participated in Saturday’s march were the Secretary General of the CPI, Adel Amer; leading party activist, Mohammed Barakeh, chairman of the Higher Arab Monitoring Hadash Chairman Issam Makhoul, a former MK and current head of the Emile Touma Center, Hadash MKs Ayman Odeh, Ofer Cassif and Youssef Atawneh alongside with former Hadash MKs Youssef Jabareen, Afo Agbarieh and Abdallah Abu Ma’arouf.
The march ended around midday and was followed by a rally at the Mary’s Well Square where speakers addressed those gathered, stressing the determination of Hadash and the CPI to meet the challenges of the fascist government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At the end of the rally members of the Communist Party sang the “International”.
MK Cassif said to journalists, “In spite of the fascist menace and terrorization, we marched today, thousands of Jews and Arabs together, to protest against the criminal massacre in Gaza, the occupation and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, against social injustice, class exploitation and fascism, and for the release of the hostages on the basis of ‘all-for-all’ principle, for social and national equality, democracy, and just peace.”
Heavily armed police force raided Friday evening the Hadash and CPI branch in Nazareth and arrested two activists who were setting up displays and flags for the May Day rally.
May Day demonstration against war and occupation, Saturday morning, in Nazareth (Photo: Zo Haderech)
Towards this year’s May Day, the International Workers’ Solidarity Day, rallies against the deadly war in Gaza and the occupation of the Palestinian territories will be held next Wednesday, May 1, across in Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Kufr Yassif and the Western Galilee and other locations.
The assault on Friday was the third on Hadash branch in Nazareth during last year. Police raided Hadash branch office on last November 10, tearing down political posters and spray-painting over murals. A year ago, on April 28, 2023, towards the May Day demonstration in the city, in another raid police took down the red flags and the Palestinian flag at the Nazareth branch and arrested the secretary of the Communist Party in the city.
Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=31790
