LAHORE: Hundreds of students from different universities on Tuesday held a protest demonstration outside the US consulate against Israeli aggression in Palestine.

Male and female students were wearing keffiyehs (a Palestinian national symbol) to express unwavering solidarity with Palestinians and condemn the ongoing genocide perpetrated by the state of Israel with the support of the US.

The students were carrying Palestine flags and placards inscribed with slogans against Israel and America and in favour of Palestine. The protest was led by the Progressive Students Collective (PSC) and joined by diverse groups of students, social and political activists, academics, artists, and concerned citizens from all walks of life, united in their demand for justice and freedom for Palestine.

PSC spokesperson Ali Abdullah Khan highlighted the staggering human toll inflicted by Israel’s relentless assault on Gaza.

“Israel’s aggression has claimed the lives of over 34,000 innocent civilians, including more than 5,000 students and 300 educators, while leaving Gaza’s educational infrastructure decimated,” Khan said.

“It is unconscionable that the US continues to provide billions in military aid to Israel, enabling these atrocities to persist unchecked. Today, we stand outside the US consulate to express solidarity with our counterparts at Columbia University and across the US, and to call upon the Pakistan government to unequivocally condemn this genocide.”

PSC Vice President Hammad Kakar emphasised the urgent need for concrete action from the Pakistani government.

“We demand that Pakistan take decisive steps to support the Palestinian cause,” Kakar asserted.

“This includes pursuing legal avenues such as bringing Israel before the International Court of Justice, endorsing the ‘boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement’, and championing pro-Palestinian student protests both domestically and internationally. To further this cause, we announce the formation of a national-level Palestine Solidarity Committee to mobilise students nationwide against this injustice.”

He said: “The Pakistan government has recently endorsed a two-state solution for Palestine, which goes against the wishes of the Palestinian people and the longstanding position of Pakistan on the issue. It is therefore important for Pakistan to support the call for the complete independence of the Palestinian people and the formation Palestine state.”

Former PSC vice president Ali Raza concluded the rally with a call to dismantle the complicit international order.

HRCP chairperson Asad Butt said the world economies especially the US was only focusing on war as 60pc of US economy based on weapon trade. He said all the wars were being fought to improve the profit of arms dealing and these capitalist economies were running on war business.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2024