Talha Ozturk
03 November 2023•Update: 03 November 2023
BELGRADE, Serbia
Thousands of Muslims gathered in the Serbian city of Novi Pazar on Thursday to take part in a rally in support of Palestine, denouncing Israel's attacks on Gaza.
More than 15,000 demonstrations gathered in the city center to express their solidarity with the Palestinian enclave and condemn Israel for the ongoing violence in the region.
They chanted slogans affirming their unwavering support for Palestine, including "Freedom for Palestine," "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" and "Stop the genocide.”
Palestinian flags and photos of the suffering in Gaza were displayed and pamphlets were distributed calling for a boycott of Israeli products.
Azra Semsovic, one of the organizers, said they refuse to remain silent over what is happening in Gaza.
"We cannot sit and watch Israel's genocide against civilians. If we cannot do anything, we can at least take to the streets and shout that we are against the genocide,'' said Semsovic.
Another organizer, Fejzo Radoncic, said that courage is standing on the side of good, truth and justice.
"Tonight we stand next to each other. We can say that Novi Pazar has brave, truthful and compassionate people. We are here to support the Palestinians -- Muslims and Christians -- and to say that we will never forget the innocent children of Gaza and Palestine. We condemn any terror against innocent civilians, no matter who they are," said Radoncic.
The demonstration ended after prayers for the Palestinian people.
The Israeli military has expanded its air and ground attacks in Gaza, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the Palestinian group. Hamas launched a cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that has killed more than 1,400 Israelis.
Nearly 10,600 people have since been killed in the conflict, including at least 9,061 Palestinians.
Basic supplies are running low for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents due to Israel's "full siege," in addition to the large number of casualties and displacements.
