Auckland, In a sweeping display of solidarity, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through central Auckland on Friday, demanding an end to global silence over violence in Palestine. The protest, organized by a coalition of human rights groups, student unions, and diaspora communities, called out what they described as the “normalization of brutality” in Gaza and the West Bank.

Chants of “Free Palestine” and “No Justice, No Peace” echoed through Queen Street, as protesters waved Palestinian flags, carried symbolic coffins, and displayed placards condemning military aggression and international complicity. The march remained peaceful, with organizers emphasizing nonviolence and unity across ethnic and religious lines.

“We’re here to say that silence is violence,” said Leila Khan, a spokesperson for the Auckland Solidarity Network. “The world cannot normalize the killing of children, the destruction of homes, and the erasure of a people.”

The protest comes amid renewed global scrutiny of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which have drawn condemnation from humanitarian organizations and sparked demonstrations in cities across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

New Zealand’s government has yet to issue a formal statement in response to the march, though several MPs expressed support for peaceful protest and called for a reevaluation of foreign policy in the region.