Palestine Revolution × Aed Abu Amro T-Shirt

The design depicts Aed Abu Amro during the Great March of Return in Gaza: he carries the Palestinian flag in one hand while swinging a sling above his head with the other. Photographer Mustafa Hassona captured the moment in Beit Lahia on 22 October 2018. The image travelled around the world and became a symbol of Palestinian resistance, dignity, and the determination to remain visible in the face of overwhelming military power.

The Story Behind the Design

On 30 March 2018, the Great March of Return began in Gaza. Tens of thousands of Palestinians gathered at several locations along the Israeli-controlled boundary. They demanded an end to the blockade, the right to self-determination, and the return of Palestinian refugees to the towns and villages from which their families had been expelled during the Nakba.

Aed Abu Amro regularly took part in the demonstrations. Speaking about the photograph that became famous, he said he was demonstrating for the right of return, for his own dignity, and for the dignity of future generations. According to Aed, the Palestinian flag pictured with him was the same flag he carried at his other protests.

The overwhelming majority of people demonstrated peacefully. At some locations, stones were thrown, tyres were burned, and barriers were damaged. Israeli soldiers with sniper rifles stood behind the boundary fence. The United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry documented 189 Palestinians killed at protest sites between 30 March and 31 December 2018. Live ammunition killed 183 people, including 32 children.

A further 6,106 people were wounded by live ammunition, including 940 children. In 175 cases, bullets struck the head or neck. In almost every case it examined, the Commission found that live ammunition had been used unlawfully against people who posed no imminent threat to life.

Aed’s sling and the precision rifles behind the fence express an extreme imbalance of power. Their range, force, and lethal capacity are barely comparable. The photograph captures a person confronting that imbalance with his body, his flag, and his claim to freedom.

Nelson Mandela explicitly supported the Palestinian right to self-determination. His well-known statement that South Africa’s freedom would remain incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians connects the struggle against South African apartheid with Palestinian liberation. Desmond Tutu opposed violence on principle while stating clearly that the people of Palestine have every right to struggle for their dignity and freedom.

The means of resistance have been debated for generations. Responsibility for occupation, blockade, displacement, and military violence remains visible. Palestinians are fighting for rights that belong to them: freedom, dignity, return, and the ability to determine their own future.

How Your Purchase Helps

All profits from Palestine Habibi are used for the benefit of Palestinians.

This T-shirt was created in direct collaboration with Aed Abu Amro. 50% of the profits from the PALESTINE REVOLUTION × AED ABU AMRO series go to Aed and his family in Gaza.

Your purchase supports this collaboration, strengthens Palestinian visibility, and carries the story behind the design forward. Learn more about our work on the Our Mission page.