Street artists and volunteers in the Bo-Kaap have been hard at work creating murals in the area to show their support for Palestine as part of the Murals of Gaza initiative.
Also read: Update: Pro-Palestinian supporters march to police station after arrests
Many flags have been hung at homes in the area and walls have been turned into pro-Palestinian statements as the conflict in Gaza continues.
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Arguably the most prominent of these is the Schotscheskloof complex, which has been painted in the colours of the Palestinian flag and is clearly visible as you enter Cape Town along Philip Kgosana Drive.
The Murals of Gaza initiative was started by Mohammad Obeidullah Gierdien, who called for volunteers to assist with the painting of the complex on Sunday.
This is beautiful ❤️🍉🇵🇸🥺
Bo-Kaap, Cape Town. #CeasefireNOW pic.twitter.com/us6b4EsGNs
— Axolile Notywala (@AxolileNotywala) December 13, 2023
Gierdien, a final-year nursing student, along with local graffiti artists, engaged with the community to see whether they would be keen on the idea.
Gierdien says that he hopes that when tourists come to take pictures in the area, the artwork will always be featured.
This comes while the City of Cape Town is looking at passing by-laws that prohibit residents from adorning their homes with pro-Palestine graffiti.
Mural being painted in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, South Africa. 🇿🇦
The project called “Angels for Gaza" turns the walls of houses into a canvas with messages of support for the people of Palestine.#Gaza_Genocide #Gaza #SouthAfrica pic.twitter.com/iK9V6zUsq0
— Ayesha Bagus (@Ayesha_Bagus) December 17, 2023
The initiative resulted in a recent altercation between residents and a law enforcement officer who was trying to prevent the creation of one of the murals.
‘Upon investigation it was found that a graffiti complaint was submitted to law enforcement,’ said Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, shortly after this incident.
Greetings from Gaza🇵🇸 for freedom loving SA’ns🇿🇦, Cape Town, Bo-Kaap, we hear you, we see you, we love you & hopefully we can meet soon.🇿🇦🇵🇸❤️#FreeFreePalestine 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/ly8qvwBl3Y
— Ashraf Allie™🇿🇦🇵🇸🔴 (@ashrafallie2918) December 19, 2023
Smith added that the responding officer did not issue a fine as the street artist was painting a private property with the consent of the owner.
'A Bokaap youth’s frustration over feeling helpless that he wasn’t doing enough for the people in Palestine sparked local artists to come together to create murals calling for a free Palestine. Mohammad Obeidullah Gierdien, a final year nursing student along with local graffiti… pic.twitter.com/VxKo2Ds8gQ
— TheObservationChair 🇿🇦 🇵🇸 (@ObsChair) November 20, 2023
Meanwhile, fighting rages on in the bloodiest-ever Gaza war, now in its third month, that started with the Hamas attacks of October 7 and has devastated much of the Palestinian territory, sparking global concern.
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Also read:
St George’s Cathedral Dean Michael Weeder begins fast for Palestine
Picture: Ayesha Gierdien / X
