Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Omoyele Sowore, the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and a veteran of Nigeria's street protest movement, joined a mass pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York City on Thursday, September 24, 2026, calling for an end to what he described as the genocidal war in Gaza and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people. Sowore shared a video of his participation in the protest on his official X handle on Friday, September 25, 2026, writing: "Yes, today in New York, I joined the Free Palestine protest. No justice, no peace! #FreePalestine! I condemn the genocide being committed by the state of Israel in Gaza. I joined to make it clear that Nigerians stand for justice and human rights for Palestinians".
The protest took place outside the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the UN complex, blocking traffic on First Avenue and chanting against US military support for Israel. The demonstration was organised by Jewish Voice for Peace, a grassroots anti-Zionist Jewish movement, which said hundreds of Jewish, Palestinian, Iranian and Lebanese New Yorkers participated in the mass anti-war demonstration on September 24. More than 100 people were arrested during the protest, including Hollywood actors Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder, as well as local elected officials and congressional nominees.
Sowore's decision to join the New York protest marks an expansion of his long-standing activism beyond Nigerian shores. He has been a fixture of Nigeria's protest landscape for decades, dating back to his university years at the University of Lagos, where he participated in student protests and was subsequently expelled. He rose to national prominence as the publisher of Sahara Reporters, an online news platform known for its investigative reporting and its willingness to challenge powerful figures. In 2019, he launched the #RevolutionNow movement, a nationwide protest campaign calling for political and economic reforms and greater accountability from government.
That activism has repeatedly brought him into conflict with Nigerian security agencies. In August 2019, he was arrested by the Department of State Services over his involvement in the planned protests and was subsequently charged with offences including treason, cybercrime and money laundering. Human Rights Watch described him at the time as a pro-democracy activist and former presidential candidate and called for his release. Sowore has continued to participate in protests and campaigns on political, economic and human rights issues, including demonstrations over economic hardship, insecurity and what organisers described as political repression in August 2026.
His participation in the Free Palestine protest adds an international dimension to a pattern of activism that has largely played out on Nigerian streets. It also comes at a time when Nigeria's own government has faced questions about its position on the Gaza conflict. In March 2026, Sowore condemned the DSS for arresting a Nigerian citizen over a social media post criticising Israel's actions during the Israel-Iran conflict. The arrest, he said at the time, was shocking, unlawful and a clear abuse of power. His decision to join the New York protest can be read as a continuation of that advocacy, an attempt to link the struggle for justice in Palestine to the broader fight for human rights that he has pursued in Nigeria.
The New York protest was part of a broader wave of demonstrations that swept the city as Netanyahu arrived for the UN General Assembly. Dozens of delegations walked out during Netanyahu's speech, and protesters held banners reading "Stop Arming Israel" and "End the Genocide". The arrests of Sarandon, Einbinder and more than 100 others underscored the intensity of the opposition to Israel's military campaign in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage.
Sowore's post did not elaborate on what specific actions he believed should be taken or whether he planned to engage in further international advocacy on the issue. But his message was clear: he wanted Nigerians and the world to know that he stood with the Palestinian people, and he framed that solidarity as part of a universal struggle for justice and human rights. For a man who has spent his life protesting against injustice in Nigeria, joining the Free Palestine demonstration in New York was a natural extension of his activism. Whether it will have any impact on Nigeria's foreign policy or on the broader international conversation about Gaza remains to be seen. What is certain is that Sowore has once again placed himself at the centre of a protest, this time on a global stage.
As the 2027 presidential election approaches, Sowore's international activism could cut both ways. His supporters will see it as evidence of his consistency and his commitment to justice, while his critics may argue that he should focus on Nigeria's domestic challenges. But Sowore has never been one to confine his activism to geographical boundaries. From the streets of Lagos to the avenues of New York, his message has remained the same: no justice, no peace.
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