By Fighting Words Staff
A rally and march was held in Hamtramck, a municipal enclave surrounded by the city of Detroit, on Saturday, December 2, 2023 to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Palestine amid the United States-backed Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) siege on Gaza and other areas of the Occupied Territories.
Hamtramck has a large immigrant population from Bangladesh and it was at the aegis of this section of the community that the action was convened.
The manifestation was held under the theme: “All Out For Palestine, From Detroit to Palestine.” There were several speakers from both the United States and Bangladesh as participants waved Palestinian flags.
According to a leaflet that was circulated at the rally: “Bangladesh is one of the 137 countries to recognize Palestine as a state since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence on November 15, 1988. The affinity with Palestine became so strong and so entrenched within the Bangladesh society that in 1980 a postal stamp was created depicting a Palestinian freedom fighter, the al-Aqsa mosque in the background shrouded by barbed wire and words that saluted Palestinian freedom fighters as “Valiant” in English and Arabic. The diaspora has made this a point of celebration and pride, especially given recent events.”
This same leaflet goes on to acknowledge: “The UAW has recently joined the Postal Workers Union, ILWU chapters, healthcare workers unions, teachers unions, and other workers in calling for a permanent ceasefire. The UAW is pushing further and committing to transitioning U.S. workers out of the war industry.”
The rally and march in Hamtramck was just one solidarity measure held in the Detroit area over the same weekend. Two other demonstrations were held in Ferndale and Troy.
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