UAE Allows Protests Calling for Gaza Ceasefire at COP28

Publish date: Sunday، 03 December 2023

As participants gathered for the United Nations' COP28 climate talks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), they were met with an uncommon sight – a protest. A group of a dozen demonstrators took to the Blue Zone, an area supervised by the UN for negotiations, to advocate for a ceasefire in the ongoing challenges in the Gaza Strip.

This unusual event came after an agreement between the UN and the country, allowing for free expression during COP28.

While the UAE typically prohibits political parties and labor unions, the COP28 agreement allowed activists to express their views within specified boundaries, creating a platform for discussion on critical global matters.

The activists, who were granted permission to demonstrate under specific guidelines, seized the opportunity to address both environmental and geopolitical concerns.

The protest featured a sign calling for a halt to hostilities in Gaza. The activists aimed to draw attention to the urgency of taking global action on both the environmental crisis and the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Babawale Obayanju, an activist with the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice from Benin City, Nigeria, emphasized the significance of utilizing platforms like COP28 to address pressing issues. "Every opportunity we have, every arena of this struggle is one that we must embrace," said Obayaju. "And the COP is in that arena of struggle."

UAE Allows Protests Calling for Gaza Ceasefire at COP28

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