PHOTOS: Hundreds attend May Day demonstration in Nazareth

By Activestills April 29, 2017 | Edit

Hundreds march through Nazareth to mark International Workers’ Day, including several members of the Joint List.

Photos and text: Maria Zreik / Activestills

Hundreds of people gathered in Nazareth on Saturday morning to take part in a May Day march. As well as marking International Workers’ Day, demonstrators also marched against the occupation and the Israeli government’s repression of Palestinians.

Demonstrators take part in a May Day march, Nazareth, April 29, 2017. (Maria Zreik/Activestills)

Demonstrators take part in a May Day march, Nazareth, April 29, 2017. (Maria Zreik/Activestills)

The demonstration also called for justice and peace, and for workers’ rights.

Several Joint List MKs were among the marchers, including party head Ayman Oden, Aida Touma-Suleiman and Yousef Jabareen.

Demonstrators take part in a May Day march, Nazareth, April 29, 2017. (Maria Zreik/Activestills)

Demonstrators take part in a May Day march, Nazareth, April 29, 2017. (Maria Zreik/Activestills)

The march ended around midday, and was followed by speeches and the singing of a Communist anthem by youth members of the Communist Party.

Demonstrators take part in a May Day march, Nazareth, April 29, 2017. (Maria Zreik/Activestills)

Demonstrators take part in a May Day march, Nazareth, April 29, 2017. (Maria Zreik/Activestills)

Some May Day events have taken place early this year, due to Memorial Day in Israel — which is scheduled according to the Hebrew calendar — falling on May 1.

A display referring to the 'Kaminitz Law,' which would see the Israeli government step up demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures built without permits, at the May Day march in Nazareth, April 29, 2017. (Maria Zreik/Activestills)

A display referring to the ‘Kaminitz Law,’ which would see the Israeli government step up demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures built without permits, at the May Day march in Nazareth, April 29, 2017. (Maria Zreik/Activestills)

Activestills is a collective of Israeli, Palestinian, and international photographers, united by a conviction that photography is a vehicle for political and social change. We believe in the power of images to shape public attitudes and to raise awareness on issues that are generally absent from public discourse. We view ourselves as part of the struggle against all forms of oppression, racism, and violations of the basic right to freedom. Our images are frequently published by many leading human rights, development, and advocacy agencies, as well as by alternative and leading news media. To stay updated on our latest images, like Activestills on Facebook or visit our Flickr photostream.

Did you appreciate this article? Here’s how you can help.

We are in an unprecedented and dangerous era in Israel-Palestine. The Israeli extreme right government has made its plans crystal clear. It wants carte blanche to shoot-to-kill Palestinians on both sides of the Green Line, legalize every settlement outpost, dismantle the independence of the judicial system, deport African asylum seekers, delegitimize human rights activists, and silence the free press.

This is an escalation we all should resist. But it is not an aberration or a bug. For the past 12 years, we at +972 have been warning against the poisonous outcomes of Israeli society’s growing racism, the entrenched occupation, and an increasingly normalized siege on Gaza.

Our work has never been more crucial. And as dark as it seems, there are still glimmers of hope. The popularity of outright fascism has woken people up, both in Israel-Palestine and across the world, to the dangerous repercussions of what may soon come. Palestinians and Israelis who believe in a just future are already organizing and strategizing to put up the fight of their lives.

Can we count on your support? +972 Magazine is the leading media voice of this movement, a place where Palestinian and Israeli journalists and activists can tell their stories without censorship. Our journalism disrupts the skewed mainstream coverage and aims to promote justice and equality for everyone between the river and the sea.

BECOME A MEMBER