This is after 200,000 Capetonians gathered for the march on the 9th of August last year.

The African National Congress is extremely angered but not surprised that the DA lead City of Cape Town has rejected a protest permit application by Pro-Palestinian activists. We condemn this action in the strongest possible terms.
 
The ANC says they are gravely concerned by an ever increasing pattern of ongoing manipulation and abuse of the bureaucratic processes to undermine civil society protests whenever it goes against DA policy. The planned protest by a collective of civil society organizations was rejected based on minor and insignificant bureaucratic reasons. It is well known though that the true reason for the rejection is the DA’s blatant support of the Israeli apartheid state.

The ANC says a pattern of clear intolerance towards Palestinian solidarity movements is emerging, as the City continuously places unnecessary restrictions and even rejects protest applications. We remember full well when the City of Cape Town failed to even respond to the ANCYL’s permit application for a Palestinian solidarity protest last year.

ANC Western Cape secretary Faiez Jacobs says “they continue to fully support Palestinian solidarity organizations in policy, practice, and principle, whereas the Democratic Alliance condones and supports Israel”.

The ANC demands that the DA stop interfering with activism based on their political and immoral allegiances, and allow civil society its democratic space to protest.

Jacobs says “the ANC will engage with the organizers to provide support, mobilize, and ensure that the protest is allowed to take place”.

Jacobs also added that they will ensure that the voices of those among the 200,000 Capetonians who gathered on the 9th of August 2014 are given there democratic space and rights to articulate their views and express their anger against Israel and its supporters.

 The ANC Western Cape will actively participate and assist in mobilization for this human rights protest. The ANC will continue to support the people of Palestine until they are free.