Largest in New Zealand: Crowds exceeding thousands rally in Auckland in support of Gaza.

Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special

Arab Gulf - Follow-ups: Tens of thousands participated in a pro-Palestine march in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, on Saturday, with organizers saying it was the largest march of its kind since the start of the war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). The "Aotearoa for Palestine" group said that about 50,000 people participated in the "March for Humanity" in downtown Auckland on Saturday morning. New Zealand police estimated the attendance at about 20,000 people. Aram Rata, a spokeswoman for the group, said it was the largest march in New Zealand in support of Palestinians since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza, when Israel began its war on Gaza after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Palestinian authorities said that more than 64,000 people have been killed in the conflict in Gaza, while humanitarian organizations say that food shortages are leading to widespread famine. The New Zealand public broadcaster reported that many of the participants in Saturday's protest raised Palestinian flags and banners with slogans including "No normalization of genocide." Rata said that the organizers, after a march that closed the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge in August, wanted to close a major bridge in the city with Saturday's march, but they had to abandon those plans on Friday due to strong winds. Police said there were no arrests at the march and that they had reopened the roads. The "Aotearoa for Palestine" group explained that it wants the center-right coalition government in New Zealand to impose sanctions on Israel. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had described in August the recent Israeli actions in Gaza, including the lack of humanitarian aid, as "very appalling," and New Zealand is considering whether to recognize a Palestinian state. The New Zealand Jewish Council, a body representing about 10,000 Jews living in the country, has not yet responded to a request for comment on the march.