95bFM Protestors call for Israel sanctions at pro-Palestine ‘March for Humanity’ rally
17 September, 2025
Interviews by Caeden Tipler, Sara Mckoy, and Sanat Singh, adapted by Vihan Dalal
Aotearoa for Palestine’s Nadine Mortaja says the ‘March for Humanity’ protest, one of the largest pro-Palestine rallies in Aotearoa's history, is calling for the government to do more in condemning Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Auckland CBD rose in protest this past weekend, demanding the government sanction Israel over its genocide on Palestinians in Gaza and recognise Palestinian statehood.
Protestors also called for the reinstatement of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to allow aid into the besieged Gaza Strip and for a permanent ceasefire in the region.
The demonstration, called the ‘March for Humanity’, took place on Saturday with a recorded 20,000 protestors; one of the largest pro-Palestine rallies in Aotearoa’s history.
The march, originally planned to cross over the Harbour Bridge from the North Shore, was diverted due to strong winds. The march instead began at Aotea Square and ended in Victoria Park.
This rally occured shortly before as a United Nations inquiry officially declared Israel’s war on Gaza a genocide, meeting four of five “genocidal acts” defined within the Genocide Convention.
A new RNZ-Reid Research poll also shows that 42.5 per cent of New Zealanders favour recognising Palestinian statehood, and another 31 per cent called on the government to do more in support of Palestine.
Spokesperson for Aotearoa for Palestine, the organisation that organised the ‘March for Humanity,’ Nadine Mortaja, told 95bFM’s The Wire that there are double standards when it comes to Palestine.
“Why are we okay with this happening to them [Palestinians]? Is it because they're Arab? Is it because they're Muslim? What is the reason this is happening to them? Because if this were happening in a Western country, nobody would stay still.”
Mortaja adds that governments internationally have lost their sense of urgency regarding Israel’s genocide in the enclave.
“It's time for governments all around the world to listen to us, whether they're the governments in the UK, Australia, or the government here in New Zealand.”
Despite New Zealand imposing travel bans in June on Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the government is yet to announce its plans to recognise Palestinian statehood, unlike countries such as the UK, Canada, France, and Australia.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says the government will “carefully weigh up its position” on recognising the state of Palestine.
Mortaja has called for sanctions on Israel so that aid can be sent to Gaza.
Currently, Israel is restricting essential aid into the occupied Palestinian territory, such as food, fuel, and medical supplies. However, Israel has denied this.
According to the UN, a confirmed 193 people, including 96 children, have died of malnutrition since August this year, with July seeing the highest monthly rate of acute malnutrition of children under the age of five.
“We are in 2025. How is this happening? How are we okay with watching this happen?... We can't go on about business as usual when there are people that are starving to death, when there are people that have lost their homes, that have lost their lives,” Mortaja says.
Palestinian students like Malak, a 15-year-old from the West Bank, also attended the protest and told The Wire that she wanted to stand up for her people.
“I know that there are so many people who want to be here today and here representing them, as well as bringing hope to my family and friends and people in Palestine.”
Green Party MP, Ricardo Menendez-March, at the rally, told The Wire that the government MPs need to “grow a spine” in sanctioning Israel, with Labour Party List MP, Shanan Halbert, telling The Wire at the protest that the government’s responses to Israel have “not [been] good enough,” and that the party “want the government to take more action”.
Mortaja adds that a historical significance underpins these calls for solidarity and sanctions.
“We [New Zealand] are a small country, but we are also a mighty country, and we do want to look back at our history in 10 years’ time. We want to tell our kids we did something.
“Aotearoa did something for the people in Gaza. So we do want the New Zealand government to stand on the right side of history, and we need them to sanction Israel.”
