New Zealand: Massive Pro-Palestinian protest held in Auckland

Thousands participated in a pro-Palestinian march in Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city on Saturday, in what organizers says is the largest rally of its kind since the start of the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas. As per reports, some 50,000 attended the March for Humanity rally in central Auckland, while New Zealand police estimated the attendance at 20,000. According to media reports, protesters carried Palestinian flags and banners with slogans including ‘Don’t normalise genocide’ and Grow a spine stand with Palestine. Protesters called on the New Zealand Government to impose sanctions on Israel.
A Destiny Church led counter protest also took place on Queen Street but police diverted it to Victoria Street. Counter-protesters followed the protesters as they made their way through the city as part of the March for Humanity.

The event was organised by Aotearoa for Palestine, a Palestinian- and Māori-led group supporting "the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom, justice, and dignity in their own land". A spokesperson for The New Zealand Jewish Council told local media that  it supported people’s right to protest but did not support "antisemitic" messaging that sometimes accompanies these protests.It said there needed to be a clear distinction between what the Israeli government is doing and being Jewish – "as they are not the same thing" and "we agree that it is valid to question the Israeli government’s approach towards Gaza".  He also claimed Gaza had become a "trendy" thing to protest and questioned why other conflicts in Congo or Ukraine have not gained the same amount of attention.