Cape Town - For more than a year, undeterred by the intense heat or heavy downpours, a number of people have gathered each week on the steps of the St. George’s Cathedral in protest over the mass murder in Gaza by Israel, and to express solidarity with the people of Palestine and their struggle to attain freedom, as well as for oppressed and marginalised people in South Africa and across the world.
On Christmas Day, this will be no different, as the vigil community has welcomed the public to spend the special day with them on the Freedom Steps of the cathedral.
The vigil has been held uninterrupted every Wednesday from 1pm to 2pm since October 2023, with regulars vowing to remain on the steps until the bombs stop falling, and bloodshed ceases in Gaza.
Those who gather on the steps are long-time anti-apartheid activists, religious leaders, community activists and leaders, artists, academics, non-governmental and solidarity organisations, some of which included South African Jews for a Free Palestine, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Salt River Heritage Society, and the Claremont Main Road Mosque.
Christmas Day will mark week 63 on the steps of the cathedral.
Dr Bonita Bennett, part of the organising team, said it was important for the vigils to be ongoing, as a reminder that true solidarity can never be seasonal.
“We had drumming for Palestine, raising kites for Palestine, birds of Gaza, butterfly souls, educational and empathy-building activities for children so that they can learn to care for others beyond the boundaries of their families and communities,” Bennett said.
“Particularly, it is important for people of faith to raise awareness about the impossibility of celebrating this feast day in the Holy Land when circumstances are so dire. It also helps us to take a step back from the consumerism which has sometimes consumed us as the shopping frenzy overtakes the spiritual meaning of the celebration of Christ's birth in Bethlehem where there is no peace.”
One of the church wardens, Emma Arogundade, said: “The message is an end to war, genocide and the killing of innocent women and children. Though the focus has remained fixed with Palestine, we include in our chanting and conversations the Cape Flats, Blikkiesdorp, forced removals (both historic in our country, and present ones around the world), and countries where conflict is ongoing such as Sudan, Congo and Ukraine.”
She added that each person comes to the vigil for their own purpose.
“... some to grieve, some to find solace, some to protest, some to find community, some to find healing from the vicarious trauma of watching a genocide unfold.”
Forty-five minutes are spent on the steps, followed by 15 minutes or more inside the cathedral for reflection and to share relevant information as well as express support for each other.
“In this time we have also heard testimony from our many visitors, one touchingly a young man whose family fled Palestine years ago and had his first moment of holding a Palestinian flag on the steps with us.”