Inês Pinto and Filipe Nuno traveled about 60 kilometers from Amarante to Porto with their two-year-old daughter, Carolina, to participate in the march.
“When she studies this in school, we will tell her and show her records, and she will know that her parents did not remain silent,” said Inês Pinto before starting a walk from Ribeira do Porto to Avenida dos Aliados, which took about 50 minutes.
Inês Pinto expressed her “shame of Europe” as she believed she lived in a continent of equality and justice, only to find it silent in the face of atrocities, stating, “It’s unacceptable that the world continues to witness genocide in 4K.”
“As parents, we are deeply moved and angry knowing that so many children are dying of hunger and the world does nothing,” she added, revealing that she has emailed entities like the European Union, Portuguese government, and various justice ombudsmen.
Filipe Nuno, holding Carolina, who whispered that they came to a “peace party,” added, “The central and right-wing European governments are cowards and are fueling the genocide of millions. This hunger feeds businesses worth millions. I’m not even talking about the silence of the United States.”
The march and vigil taking place in Porto is part of the “Global Day of Action for Gaza,” promoted by organizations like the Global Movement to Gaza and the Palestine Youth Movement.
Portugal is among 17 countries where various actions are organized to denounce the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave.
Besides Porto, events were organized in Coimbra, featuring an acoustic mini-concert, video screenings about life in Gaza, and open poetry sessions, while Faro hosted a silent march and a talk on the historical and current context of Palestine.
The call issued by organizers demands “the end of the genocide and siege in Gaza, an end to the complicity of European states and the United States who finance and politically support the Zionist colonial project, the imposition of sanctions on Israel and an arms embargo,” along with “the decolonization and liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea.”
Carrying Palestinian flags, placards with “Free Palestine,” and many ‘keffiyehs,’ participants gathered at 7:00 PM near the D. Luís bridge, mingling with tourists, families, and children jumping into the Douro River, before setting off toward the Porto City Hall at 8:00 PM, chanting “Israel assassin, long live the Palestinian people” and banging pots and pans in what was described as a “sonorous form of protest and resistance” to draw attention to the severe hunger inflicted by Israel on the Palestinian people in Gaza, as stated in a leaflet.
Leading the group was a banner with the phrase “Buying products from Israel finances the genocide of the Palestinian people,” alongside blood-stained and shrouded dolls symbolizing “the thousands of children murdered by Israel.”
As the march neared the ‘heart’ of Porto, zigzagging around metro construction, several stops were made. In front of the Palácio da Bolsa, protestors repeatedly shouted, “Now, now that we are together, now that we can see, down with Zionism that will fall, it will fall, and long live Palestine. Resist! Resist!”
“It’s clear that the urgent priority is to feed the population in Gaza, stop the genocide, and free the people. But absolutely, the priority must be breaking the siege on Gaza, the deliberately planned blockade that is exterminating the Palestinian people,” said Isabel Oliveira from the organization.
Although happy to see “many new faces,” Isabel lamented “the great inertia of the Portuguese population.”
“Sometimes it’s always the same people. People lament but don’t take action. It’s crucial to realize that silence brings impunity. We cannot let this crime go unpunished,” she noted.
To the press, Isabel Oliveira emphasized that “today the aim is to raise the visibility of international solidarity to provoke political powers into making a decision.”
“It is essential to sanction Israel and condemn Israel publicly and explicitly for all crimes, and European and U.S. governments must align with human rights and the International Criminal Court’s decisions to end this ‘apartheid.’ It makes no sense in the 21st century to witness this massacre and slaughter,” she concluded.
This conflict was triggered by Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, in southern Israel, which resulted in nearly 1,200 deaths and about 250 hostages.
In retaliation, Israel launched a massive military operation in the territory, causing more than 61,000 deaths, according to local authorities, destroying nearly all infrastructure in the enclave, and displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
