By Terri Kay
NewYork for Palestine Coalition along with many other organizations rallied and marched on Sunday, May 14th to mark the 75th year of the “Nakba”, the zionist Catastrophe, and 75 Years of Palestinian Resistance to zionist colonization and war crimes. The event opened with a rally in Times Square, followed by a march to Grand Central Station, where people marched inside, hanging banners from the railings, circling the large lobby area with militant chants echoing loudly. Chants included:
- From the river to the sea–Palestine will be free
- Settlers, settlers go back home–Palestine is ours alone
- From Palestine to Mexico–All the walls have got to go
- From New York to Gaza–Globalize the intifada
- Not another nickel, not another dime–No more money for israel’s crime
- Resistance is justified–When people are occupied
Speakers included representatives from the three initiating organizations representing NY4Palestine: Al-Awda NY, American Muslims for Palestine NJ, and the Palestinian Youth Movement. Other endorsing organizations also spoke, including: United American Indians of New England, ICNA Council For Social Justice, December 12th Movement, Struggle La Lucha, Students for Justice in Palestine – Brooklyn College, Fordham SJP, Palestine Solidarity Alliance of Hunter College, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the ANSWER Coalition, the Al Quds Committee, Brooklyn for Peace, and Workers World Party.
From the NY4 Palestine’s press release:
The Nakba marks the height of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by Zionist forces in 1948, wherein Zionists exiled approximately two-thirds of the Palestinian population from their homes and lands and destroyed over 700 Palestinian towns and villages. Since then, Palestinians have been subject to a brutal regime of torture, armed home invasions and demolitions, massacres, policies of Apartheid, expanding military occupation, and theft of their lands, homes, farms, water, and schools. By commemorating the Nakba, Palestinians mark and highlight 75 years of daily policies and practices of brute violence by the Zionist entity, which violate every article of the Geneva Conventions.
The ongoing, murderous bombardment of Gaza this past week by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) which caused the murder of 30 Palestinians, including several entire families; the murderous raids by Zionist colonizing forces in the West Bank, especially in Jenin and the refugee camps; the pogroms by Zionist settlers under protection of armed forces in the areas surrounding Nablus; and the murder of hunger-striking Khader Adnan and countless other Palestinians abducted by Zionist forces – these events underscore the Zionist colonizing forces’ clear intent to continue the Nakba of Palestinians, and the urgent need for Palestinians to be supported in their resistance to escalating Zionist incremental genocide of the Palestinian people.
“Savagery. That is the word that describes Zionist policy in Gaza and across Palestine. For over 100 years, the settler colonial project has been established on a foundation of murder, displacement and repression. This is not a matter of the past, it is ongoing, as we see with the most recent assaults on Gaza. These are calculated massacres, and the occupation forces are well aware that entire families would be the casualties of attacks. We not only condemn the actions, but call for immediate action to end these heinous crimes,” said Wassim Kanaan, Chairman of American Muslims for Palestine – NJ.
“The Palestinian Nakba is the story of reclamation and resistance. We write today in honor of our youth who refuse to abandon the struggle,even when dispersed across the globe. We believe that our youth are the cradle of liberation—as the Zionist entity’s violence increases and Arab regimes continue to normalize, our demand remains nothing less than the complete liberation of the land and our return..,” said a representative of the Palestinian Youth Movement, New York Chapter.
“It is absolutely mind-boggling that the US government watches US Citizens engage in pogroms and war crimes, from burning Palestinian towns, to lynchings, home invasions, and bombing Palestinians as they sleep – live on video – and does nothing. These Zionist practices do not merely threaten the lives of Palestinians but pose a threat to global morality, order, and peace- and have no place in civilized society. It is incumbent that the US government put an end to, and prosecute, material support by US citizens and organizations to Zionist war crimes which are a violation of the US Federal War Crimes Act; and that the US government itself immediately end all political, financial and military support to the Zionist regime,” said attorney Lamis Deek who is a member of Al Awda NY: The Palestine Right to Return coalition, and co-founder of the Palestinian Assembly for Liberation.
See some highlights of the day’s action here
And a livestream of most of the action here
For some upcoming events in support of Palestine see this summary
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