Greta Thunberg leads pro-Palestine protest in Milan

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
11 Oct 2024 23:27

In her speech, the 21-year-old explained that "Palestinians have been living under suffocating oppression for decades by an apartheid regime."

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Greta Thunberg during a pro-Palestine demonstration in Malmo, Sweden, in May 2024 (AFP)

Days after her criticism of "Israel" had German authorities branding her as "dangerous", Greta Thunberg joined a climate change and pro-Palestine march in Milan on Friday. The climate change movement that Thunberg helped start, Fridays For Future, organized a peaceful march in the northern Italian city that drew over a thousand participants, many of whom were teens.

"You should not be able to call yourself a climate activist if you do not also fight for a free Palestine and an end to colonialism and oppression all over the world," declared Thunberg. "Silence is complicity, you cannot be neutral in a genocide."

In her speech, the 21-year-old explained that "Palestinians have been living under suffocating oppression for decades by an apartheid regime, and during the last year with Israel's live broadcasted genocide, the world has once again abandoned Palestine."

As other demonstrators waved flags, carried placards, and danced to music, Thunberg marched close to the head of the parade while donning a koufiyyeh, a traditional scarf that represents the Palestinian fight for freedom.

Known for her efforts to stop climate change caused by humans, Swedish-born Thunberg has been supporting the Palestinians more frequently. In May, she stated that these rallies "should be everywhere."

This is not the first instance in which Thunberg attended pro-Palestine protests. Earlier last month, Thunberg was arrested in Copenhagen by Danish police at a protest against the war on Gaza, reported a spokesperson for the student group organizing the demonstration.

Gaza home to largest number of amputee children in modern history: UN

Speaking to the Security Council on Wednesday, a top UN official revealed that Gaza holds the greatest number of amputee children in contemporary history.

Ten children lose one or both of their legs per day, according to Lisa Doughten, Director of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Division of Financing and Partnerships. Doughten also stated that women and children are disproportionately affected by the trauma of Israeli aggression.

The director expressed that “Gaza is home to the largest cohort of child amputees in modern history,” adding that Palestinian women are 3 times more likely to have miscarriages or die giving birth.

"We cannot claim ignorance to what is happening — nor can we afford to look away,” Doughten stressed, calling on the Council and states to end the atrocities.

Doughten issued a warning that over 2 million people in Gaza lack access to basic healthcare and over 50,000 pregnant women are denied medical treatment as a result of the deliberate and ongoing targeting of the health sector.

"Israel" has been committing "relentless and deliberate attacks" against Gaza's healthcare facilities, medical personnel, and injured civilians, United Nations investigators found, emphasizing that the occupation's actions are tantamount to war crimes and extermination, a crime against humanity.