The Vanchi Square in Kochi, a well-known site for protests and social gatherings, hosted a special event Thursday evening to express solidarity with the people of Gaza.
The event titled ‘Names of Gaza’ drew inspiration from a similar gathering held in September in the Belgian capital Brussels. Several prominent figures from various fields, such as art, literature and media, took turns to read aloud the names of children who have been killed in Gaza in Israeli strikes. They all wore keffiyehs, black and white scarves, around their necks in solidarity with the Palestinian cause. The evening also saw a group of college students performing dabke, a traditional Palestinian folk dance that has become a symbol of resistance. They held placards with messages such as ‘Long Live Gaza’ and ‘Peace for Palestine’.
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Over 18,000 children are believed to have been killed in Gaza in the Israeli military offensive that began on October 7, 2023, following the Hamas attack. The Kochi event remembered around 1,500 of them. In the coming days, ‘Names of Gaza’ will be held in Palakkad and Wayanad, followed by similar gatherings in other districts of Kerala to pay tribute to all the children who lost their lives in the conflict. Abdullah Abu Shawesh, Palestinian Ambassador to India, inaugurated the event virtually. Addressing the gathering, he said one should not ask a Palestinian if they have lost any relatives in the Israeli attack. “The real question is — how many relatives have you lost? Dozens of my relatives have been slaughtered by Israeli genocidal warfare,” said Shawesh before reading out the names of some of his family members and friends killed in Gaza.