‘Free Palestine! Free Tamil Eelam’ – Thousands rally in Chennai against Gaza genocide

Thousands gathered in Chennai on Friday for a massive rally against Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, with speakers and demonstrators also drawing parallels to the Tamil struggle and calling for solidarity with Eelam Tamils.

Organised by the Coalition of Periyarists, the protest brought together political parties, social organisations, Muslim groups, artists and activists from across Tamil Nadu. Among those addressing the rally were Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader and MP Thol. Thirumavalavan, MLA Thaniyarasu, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi leader Jawahirullah, May 17 Movement coordinator Thirumurugan Gandhi, actors Sathyaraj and Prakash Raj, and filmmaker Vetri Maaran.

Actor Prakash Raj described the gathering as “a meeting of everyone who speaks for humanity”. Criticising both the United States and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, “Israel alone is not responsible. America is responsible. Modi’s silence is responsible too.” He recited poetry on the lasting scars of war, stressing that “wars will end, leaders will shake hands and walk away, but somewhere, an old mother will still wait for her son”.

Fellow actor Sathyaraj condemned the “unbearable” massacres in Gaza, describing them as a violation of humanity. “Every time people fight for liberation, genocide is carried out,” he said, recalling the killing of Eelam Tamil civilians during Sri Lanka’s genocide at Mullivaikkal. He praised leaders such as Thirumavalavan and Thirumurugan Gandhi as “real heroes,” insisting that artists too had a duty to speak out.

Filmmaker Vetri Maaran denounced the violence in Gaza as a “planned genocide,” pointing to deliberate strikes on schools and hospitals and the destruction of olive trees. “One in five children is said to be a sign of famine… All human beings should come together and emphasize the importance of gathering. Change doesn’t happen all at once. But we have to register our protest,” he said.

VCK leader Thirumavalavan linked the rally to Periyarist politics and international solidarity. He condemned American imperialism and Israeli Zionism, comparing the labelling of Hamas as a terrorist organisation to the proscription of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). “The UN took two years to recognise the killings in Gaza as genocide, while to this day it has not acknowledged the Mullivaikkal massacre,” he said, urging India to take a firm stance.

May 17 Movement coordinator Thirumurugan Gandhi argued that once genocide is recognised, the international community has a duty to intervene militarily. He demanded that Israel be declared a genocidal state and Palestine recognised as an independent nation. “Declaring Hamas a terrorist group is wrong,” he said, describing it instead as a legitimate liberation movement.

The Chennai rally comes as the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 65,000, most of them women and children. Since 7 October 2023, Israel’s onslaught has displaced hundreds of thousands and caused famine conditions.