On November 20 2024, the Johannesburg Council for Disabled (JOCOD) hosted a protest outside the United States of America Consulate Office in Sandton. The aim of the protest was to call on the US government to stop supporting Israel in committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The protest was supported by several different organisations including the Palestinian Solidarity Alliance (PSA), the SA BDS Coalition, South African Healthcare Workers For Palestine and South African Jews for a Free Palestine (SAJFP).
The protest programme featured several performances from members of JOCOD and Tiba Services for the blind including songs, musical performances and poems. The programme started with a heartwarming rendition of the national anthem by members of JOCOD.
JOCOD decided to hold the protest because they were horrified at the treatment of people with disabilities in Gaza by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), especially the story of the tragic and horrendous killing of Mohammed Bhar. Mohammad Bhar was a 24-year-old Palestinian with Down syndrome and autism who died after being mauled by an Israeli military dog in the Gaza Strip.
JOCOD were protesting against the targeting of people with disabilities and the intentional maiming of people. A representative from JOCOD addressed the crowd saying that as an organisation that represented people with disabilities they could not remain silent about what is going on in Gaza.
“What is happening in Gaza is a clear violation of international law […] backed and funded by the United States.”
Fatima Bibi Aboo from the South African Healthcare Workers For Palestine painted a dire picture of the situation in Gaza for people with disabilities as well as those who have been injured and maimed in the past year. People with disabilities represent the most vulnerable as they have increased difficulty in finding places of safety during bombings and their access to healthcare is even more limited. Over the past year of the genocide, a new terms has been coined by medical workers in Gaza: wounded child no surviving family. It captures the horrors and extreme violence children and children with disabilities are facing in Gaza as a result of the Israel’s genocide.
JOCOD to march for the rights of people with disabilities in Palestine
JOCOD also prepared a memorandum of demands to hand over the US government. However, the officials did not come out to meet the organisers. Instead a few representatives from the different organisations were taken into the consulate building to hand over the memorandum of demands.
Amaarah Garda from the Palestinian Solidarity Alliance commended the organisers of the protest for organising it as a way for everyone working together for the people of Palestine.
Over the past year, there have been many protests held outside the US Consulate calling on the US government to stop supporting and perpetuating the genocide against the people of Palestine. With Joe Biden having just a few months left as the president of the United States of America, there was a renewed call for the US government to stop arming Israel to continue committing genocide in Gaza and bombing Lebanon and Syria.
However, on Thursday, the US once again vetoed a UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
