São Paulo - Saba:
Dozens of Brazilian activists, political groups, and trade unions participated in a mass demonstration on Friday outside the U.S. consulate in São Paulo (southeastern Brazil), protesting the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the unlimited American support for the occupation government.
The protest was called by leftist forces and social movements, including the Revolutionary Communist Party (P.C.O), the Popular Trade Union Center (CSP Conlutas), and the group "Jewish Voices for Liberation," alongside pro-Palestine organizations such as the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign in Brazil.
Protesters raised slogans condemning what they described as "genocide in Gaza," demanding that the government of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sever ties with Israel and halt all forms of cooperation with it.
In exclusive remarks to Quds Press, Palestinian-Brazilian journalist and coordinator of the Palestinian Front in São Paulo, Thurya Masalih, stated: "What is happening in Gaza is a real genocide committed by Israel with clear American support." She added, "We are here today to tell Washington and Tel Aviv: Palestine is not for sale. Remove your blood-stained hands from Gaza, from Iran, and from all the peoples of the region. The world can no longer tolerate this injustice."
For her part, activist Daniela from Jewish Voices for Liberation told Quds Press: "We reject the imperialist alliance between the U.S. and Israel and demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as well as the severance of diplomatic relations between Brazil and Israel."
Participants viewed the protest as an expression of growing popular opposition in Brazil to U.S. and Israeli policies, especially amid the escalating aggression on Gaza and the continued blockade.
The participating organizations affirmed their commitment to mobilizing public support and increasing political pressure on President Lula da Silva's government to take decisive steps against the Israeli occupation, including ending security and diplomatic cooperation and adopting a clear stance in support of Palestinian rights against occupation, colonialism, and apartheid.
On June 5, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated during a press conference at the Élysée Palace in Paris: "What is happening in Gaza is not a war but a genocide committed by a fully equipped army against women and children." He stressed that the world can no longer remain silent, adding that "recognizing a Palestinian state is a moral duty and a political necessity."
Lula called for raising international voices to halt Israeli crimes and criticized double standards in solidarity with victims, saying: "Palestinians cannot be treated as second or third-class citizens—they want life and freedom, just like us."
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