A demonstration organized by a group of Portuguese and foreign citizens, activists, and members of movements such as the Coletivo pela Libertação da Palestina, Estudantes pela Libertação da Palestina, and ‘Parents for Peace,’ aimed to “give voice to the 18,000 children killed and the thousands who were orphaned or mutilated,” explained Sara Silva Natária, a spokesperson for the group.
“We are here to give voice to the 18,000 children murdered by Israel, the 18,000 innocent children from whom Israel stole their voice, stole their life,” she stated, highlighting “the ongoing suffering of the children who face hunger and thirst” due to the blockade of humanitarian aid.
Apart from the deaths, Sara Natária mentioned, “there are thousands of children mutilated, many subjected to amputations without anesthesia, and tens of thousands who now live as orphans without access to food or drinking water.”
The participants distributed informative leaflets, encouraging the boycott of Israeli products and promoting donations to organizations like the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF).
The activists also invited passersby, who expressed solidarity with the cause, to join them in the daily vigils held outside the Porto City Hall.
“Not everyone has to come out to protest, not everyone has to be an activist, there are many ways to help. People can boycott Israeli products, they can donate money, they can pray, because although religions are different, God is the same, and these children need and deserve all the help possible,” the activist argued.
This show of solidarity also saw the presence of families, including that of Gabriela Yasmin Pinheiro, who brought her two daughters, aged two and six, to the protest.
“It’s important for me, as a mother, to be here teaching my daughters that when a country is committing genocide, we need to protest,” she said emotionally, explaining that her eldest daughter, aged six, made a sign with the image of a Palestinian girl of the same age who was killed.
Sara Natária emphasized that the group is nonpartisan and comprised of ordinary citizens driven by empathy.
“We are human beings. We feel empathy for the children being killed, for the Palestinian people suffering a genocide,” she remarked.
Regarding the role of the Portuguese government, Sara Natária felt that Portugal “has fallen short. Countries like Spain, Ireland, and Norway have already taken bolder positions.”
“We believe that Portugal can and should do the same,” because “history will remember the people who stood on the right side, those who defended the innocent being killed,” she stated.
The activist expressed belief that it is “a matter of time” until most people “reach the limit.”
“We are here to try to raise more awareness and help people get involved in whatever way is most comfortable for them. Anyone who is a mother, father, grandmother, aunt, sister, or cousin knows that these 18,000 children could be their children, siblings, grandchildren, and feel that this is an injustice that must stop,” she noted.
A line created with hundreds of pieces of children’s clothing along the busy Rua de Santa Catarina was used to convey “the scale of the crimes committed.”
Rosie Marteau, a member of the ‘Parents for Peace’ Portugal collective and mother of two Portuguese children, stated: “We just want more people to become aware.”
“We cannot let this happen right in front of us without doing anything. The more people speak out, the less we’ll be afraid to condemn that what is happening is indeed genocide. It should not be considered radical to not want children to be killed,” she said.
All the clothes used in this solidarity action will be washed and donated to charities such as Vida Norte, which supports mothers and babies in fragile situations, and the Centro São Cirilo, which aids migrants and refugees in the Porto area.
The data on the number of children killed since October 7, 2023, varies, according to the organization, between 15,613 and 18,600, while it is estimated that 40,000 children have been orphaned.
