Residents and artists of Bo-Kaap in Cape Town have painted a large mural on their flats in solidarity with the people of Palestine.
It is believed that it is the largest mural in Cape Town, and the artists hope that it can be the largest mural of the Palestinian flag in South Africa.
The initiative is led by a final-year nursing student, Mohammad Obeidullah Gierdien, living in Bo-Kaap.
“My motivation behind this project was something that could stick. People have flags, but flags tear and weather. People march, but there are only so many hours you can march,” Gierdien said.
“But a mural is something that can only be destroyed when someone actively destroys it (the buildings), but other than that, the mural is here to stay.”
He explained that since Bo-Kaap has so many tourists day-in and day-out and so many pictures are taken, it would only be appropriate to paint a large mural of the Palestinian flag so the pictures shared on social media can show the flag and express solidarity.
The pictures of the mural went viral on social media. The photographer, Ebrahim Billy Christian, said he took the pictures to create awareness.
“I only took the pictures and shared them on social media to create awareness of the work this wonderful group of youngsters led by Obeidullah Gierdien is doing,” Christian said.
"The people of Bo-Kaap are buying into and supporting their project by spreading the message through murals on their walls. Knowing Bo-Kaap as a tourist destination, they see how Bo-Kaap is in solidarity with Palestine.”
Christian added that he was born and bred in Bo-Kaap, and the people of Bo-Kaap are also under the threat of gentrification.
The GOOD Party has recently accused the City of Cape Town of allegedly ill-treating pro-Palestine groups by using its new outdoor advertising by-law that allegedly bars public display of Palestine flags and signs.
GOOD Party caucus leader, Suzette Little, said the city jumped to table a new outdoor advertising by-law after residents in Bo-Kaap erected pro-Palestine signs outside their homes.
“The proposed by-law is startlingly reminiscent of apartheid legislation that banned the display of materials advocating for justice. It is like a piece of PW Botha’s emergency legislation. It would certainly make Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu proud.”
IOL