Pro-Israeli demonstrators march in Rio

Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse
Oct 15, 2023
A man carrying a child on his shoulders demonstrates along Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 15, 2023
A man carrying a child on his shoulders demonstrates along Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 15, 2023 — Tercio TEIXEIRA

More than 1,000 people demonstrated along Rio de Janeiro's iconic Copacabana beach on Sunday against Hamas as the death toll continued to climb in the conflict between the militant group and Israel.

Demonstrators shouted slogans including "Hamas never again," and "Hamas is terrorism" as they waved Brazilian and Israeli flags and sang in Hebrew at the protest, organized by an Israeli group in Rio.

"Israel is not alone, Jews all over the world are coming together in one way or another, praying, marching, calling for peace, calling on people to look towards Israel and see what is happening to it," Jonathan Oliveira, 31, told AFP.

"We have to attack because otherwise we are the ones being attacked," he said, referring to the Hamas attacks that have claimed the lives of more than 1,400 people in Israel since October 7, most of them civilians.

Israel has responded to the attacks with a devastating bombing campaign that has claimed more than 2,670 lives in Gaza, including hundreds of children.

Walking alongside Oliveira was Fabio Harccun Kac, a 41-year-old engineer, draped in an Israeli flag.

"We will not allow this to happen again, we must defend ourselves," he said.

Demonstrators chanted slogans and called for Israel to defend itself against attacks

The Israeli embassy in Brazil posted images of the demonstration with a message thanking the protesters.

Israel has asked 1.1 million Palestinians to leave the northern Gaza Strip as it prepares for a ground invasion aimed at destroying the militant group, despite warnings from aid groups of a humanitarian disaster.

A Brazilian-Israeli man and woman and a Brazilian woman have died in the conflict. Nearly 30 Brazilians are in the south of the Gaza Strip waiting to be repatriated to Egypt.