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Support for Palestinians in the face of Israel’s attacks brought together hundreds of thousands of people on New Year’s Day in Istanbul.
In the early hours of Thursday, people from all across the country converged in several locations in the city and began a march to Galata Bridge, final gathering point. The rally, organized by National Will Platform comprised of about 400 civil society organizations, was held under the slogan “We won’t cower, we won’t keep quiet, we won’t forget Palestine.”
Before heading to the bridge, participants attended morning prayers at Istanbul’s iconic mosques, including Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Sultanahmet or Blue Mosque, Fatih, Süleymaniye and Eminönü New Mosque.
Cold weather did not deter participants as they marched with Palestinian and Turkish flags in their hands, under tight security measures. Along with civil society leaders, ministers and prominent figures, supporters of four major football clubs Beşiktaş, Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Trabzonspor joined the demonstrators as the march began at 08:30 a.m. local time.
A large banner depicting “Hanzala,” the iconic figure created by late Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali and closely associated with the Palestinian cause, was hung on a building behind the main press platform. Days before the march, demonstrators hanged a giant keffiyeh on the Galata Tower.
The program featured performances of works by internationally known artists and musicians, including Lebanese-Swedish singer Maher Zain, Turkish artist Esat Kabaklı and the band Grup Yürüyüş.
