03:43The 'Aotearoa Caravan for a Free Palestine', made up of vehicles of all sizes flying Palestinian and New Zealand flags, travelled in single file, making a pit stop in Auckland before joining a national protest in Wellington next Wednesday.
"So what's happening is PSNA is putting together caravans around New Zealand, and we'll be heading down to Wellington in support of the Palestinian-driven rally," said Neil Scott, Secretary of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA).
Footage filmed on Sunday shows a high-speed caravan entering Auckland with 'Boycott Israel' signs on participating vehicles. Rally participants can be seen holding placards reading 'Luxon, your silence and inaction condone genocide', 'Silence is complicity. Free Palestine' and 'Stop the genocide'.
"Yeah, it's so important for us to come week and week out to show that we don't stand with it (conflict in Gaza)," said rally participant Hailey. we want our government to do more, like granting visas for example for the family members of Palestinians here that want to bring their family to safety".
"I think the caravan was really significant, because on a personal level, I think it just helps to ease the pain to deal with this crazy situation, and because it's hard just to psychologically cope with what's happening to children," said Ahmad, another rally participant. "I think the other thing for me is being part of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and coming here, and the two struggles have always been quite connected for us as South Africans".
Earlier Kiwi activists rallied in Auckland last Sunday protesting against the New Zealand Defence Forces (NZDF) joining the US-led RIMPAC military exercise alongside the Israel Defense Force (IDF).
Protesters are calling on the New Zealand government to stop doing business with Israel. The government has called for a ceasefire but has not imposed sanctions or issued a strong condemnation.
Fighting continues for the ninth month after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200, according to Israeli officials.
Israel declared war on the group and a 'complete siege' of Gaza, with a large-scale campaign of air strikes. A ground incursion began at the end of the third week, with Israeli leaders vowing to 'wipe out' Hamas. Palestinian officials reported that at least 37,296 people had been killed and more than 85,197 injured at the time of publication.
The IDF claimed that Hamas locations and infrastructure were targeted in the response. However, United Nations experts warned against 'collective punishment' for the people of Gaza before predicting a 'humanitarian crisis' and then claimed that 'hell is settling in' for the region.
'We want our government to do more' - 'Free Palestine' caravan rallies in Auckland ahead of Wellington protest
The 'Aotearoa Caravan for a Free Palestine', made up of vehicles of all sizes flying Palestinian and New Zealand flags, travelled in single file, making a pit stop in Auckland before joining a national protest in Wellington next Wednesday.
"So what's happening is PSNA is putting together caravans around New Zealand, and we'll be heading down to Wellington in support of the Palestinian-driven rally," said Neil Scott, Secretary of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA).
Footage filmed on Sunday shows a high-speed caravan entering Auckland with 'Boycott Israel' signs on participating vehicles. Rally participants can be seen holding placards reading 'Luxon, your silence and inaction condone genocide', 'Silence is complicity. Free Palestine' and 'Stop the genocide'.
"Yeah, it's so important for us to come week and week out to show that we don't stand with it (conflict in Gaza)," said rally participant Hailey. we want our government to do more, like granting visas for example for the family members of Palestinians here that want to bring their family to safety".
"I think the caravan was really significant, because on a personal level, I think it just helps to ease the pain to deal with this crazy situation, and because it's hard just to psychologically cope with what's happening to children," said Ahmad, another rally participant. "I think the other thing for me is being part of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and coming here, and the two struggles have always been quite connected for us as South Africans".
Earlier Kiwi activists rallied in Auckland last Sunday protesting against the New Zealand Defence Forces (NZDF) joining the US-led RIMPAC military exercise alongside the Israel Defense Force (IDF).
Protesters are calling on the New Zealand government to stop doing business with Israel. The government has called for a ceasefire but has not imposed sanctions or issued a strong condemnation.
Fighting continues for the ninth month after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200, according to Israeli officials.
Israel declared war on the group and a 'complete siege' of Gaza, with a large-scale campaign of air strikes. A ground incursion began at the end of the third week, with Israeli leaders vowing to 'wipe out' Hamas. Palestinian officials reported that at least 37,296 people had been killed and more than 85,197 injured at the time of publication.
The IDF claimed that Hamas locations and infrastructure were targeted in the response. However, United Nations experts warned against 'collective punishment' for the people of Gaza before predicting a 'humanitarian crisis' and then claimed that 'hell is settling in' for the region.
The 'Aotearoa Caravan for a Free Palestine', made up of vehicles of all sizes flying Palestinian and New Zealand flags, travelled in single file, making a pit stop in Auckland before joining a national protest in Wellington next Wednesday.
"So what's happening is PSNA is putting together caravans around New Zealand, and we'll be heading down to Wellington in support of the Palestinian-driven rally," said Neil Scott, Secretary of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA).
Footage filmed on Sunday shows a high-speed caravan entering Auckland with 'Boycott Israel' signs on participating vehicles. Rally participants can be seen holding placards reading 'Luxon, your silence and inaction condone genocide', 'Silence is complicity. Free Palestine' and 'Stop the genocide'.
"Yeah, it's so important for us to come week and week out to show that we don't stand with it (conflict in Gaza)," said rally participant Hailey. we want our government to do more, like granting visas for example for the family members of Palestinians here that want to bring their family to safety".
"I think the caravan was really significant, because on a personal level, I think it just helps to ease the pain to deal with this crazy situation, and because it's hard just to psychologically cope with what's happening to children," said Ahmad, another rally participant. "I think the other thing for me is being part of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and coming here, and the two struggles have always been quite connected for us as South Africans".
Earlier Kiwi activists rallied in Auckland last Sunday protesting against the New Zealand Defence Forces (NZDF) joining the US-led RIMPAC military exercise alongside the Israel Defense Force (IDF).
Protesters are calling on the New Zealand government to stop doing business with Israel. The government has called for a ceasefire but has not imposed sanctions or issued a strong condemnation.
Fighting continues for the ninth month after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200, according to Israeli officials.
Israel declared war on the group and a 'complete siege' of Gaza, with a large-scale campaign of air strikes. A ground incursion began at the end of the third week, with Israeli leaders vowing to 'wipe out' Hamas. Palestinian officials reported that at least 37,296 people had been killed and more than 85,197 injured at the time of publication.
The IDF claimed that Hamas locations and infrastructure were targeted in the response. However, United Nations experts warned against 'collective punishment' for the people of Gaza before predicting a 'humanitarian crisis' and then claimed that 'hell is settling in' for the region.