12 May 2025
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) condemns the violent police (SAPS) action against peaceful pro-Palestinian protesters at the South Africa versus Malawi football match at Loftus Versveld stadium on Sunday 11 May. A few hundred peaceful protesters, men, women and children attended the match but from the outset many were denied entry to the stadium and even instructed by the SAPS to remove their Tshirt that called to “Red Card Apartheid Israel”. Just after half-time they were violently attacked by over twenty members of the SAPS, including brutal assault and pepper-spraying protesters. Five were arrested and detained at the Sunnyside police station in Pretoria and will appear today for their bail hearing. Their charges are unclear.
This action by SAPS and the authorities is reminiscent of the police state repression of the Apartheid era in South Africa. It is obvious to us that SAFA officials and the SAPS collaborated and acted together in this violent suppression of a peaceful protest in support of Zionist apartheid Israel. Ironically, the protesters campaign to “Red card Apartheid Israel” was precisely to persuade our footballing body, SAFA, CAF and FIFA to pressurise Israel to stop its cruel genocide against the Palestinian people. And yet, they were met with violence similar to the way Palestinians are treated by the Israeli regime. Moreover, these repressive measures against Palestine supporters by South Africa’s state organs in support of Israel is not new and has been a regular feature of peaceful protests for the past 18 months from Cape Town to Pretoria. State authorities are evidently biased – unlawfully attacking, harassing and arresting peaceful pro-Palestine protesters. This includes the SAPS, the Hawks, the NPA, Cape Town Metro Police and the Department of Home Affairs. Despite over 30 years of democracy, and the government’s court action at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people, South African state organs remain untransformed and not directed by principles and human rights’ values of the SA Constitution.
The movement against the colonial genocide of the Palestinian people and for their liberation from Israel has met with similar repression in the West – the USA, Britain, France and Germany as well as countries of the Middle East and North Africa region (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Turkey and Qatar). South Africa appears to be no different to these racist, undemocratic and repressive regimes.
We demand the immediate unconditional release of the arrested protesters. We demand an independent investigation into the violent action by SAPS against the peaceful protesters at yesterday’s football match and appropriate action taken against the SAPS. We demand a parliamentary investigation into organs of state relating to their biased role in support of Israel and against Palestine supporters.
- We demand the immediate unconditional release of the arrested protesters.
- We demand an independent investigation into the violent action by SAPS against the peaceful protesters at yesterday’s football match and appropriate action taken against the SAPS.
- We demand a parliamentary investigation into organs of state relating to their biased role in support of Israel and against Palestine supporters.
For further comment contact:
- Jaamia Galant 0792314273
- Usuf Chikte 0828779522
Issued by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Cape Town (PSC)