400 join Tampa protest against Trump’s Jerusalem announcement
Tampa, FL – Over 400 people joined a protest in Temple Terrace, Tampa, Dec. 8 to denounce Trump’s announcement that the U.S. “recognizes” Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
The protesters condemned plans to move of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In speeches and chants, protesters made it clear that they recognize Jerusalem as the historic capitol of Palestine, and that Trump’s announcement is an attack on the Palestinian people. One sign said: “Jerusalem is and always will be the capital of Palestine.”
Trump’s recent announcement led the major Palestinian political parties to call for “Three Days of Rage” and for Arabs and Muslims to protest this genocide worldwide. This protest joined countless demonstrations across the globe, as well as within Palestine itself, from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank to Jerusalem proper. The Israeli Defense Forces have retaliated by using tear gas on protesters, shooting into the crowds, raiding neighborhoods, deliberately targeting medical facilities and ambulances carrying injured Palestinian protesters, and bombing Gaza.
Calvin Kirby, one of the protesters stated, “Anyone who thinks the U.S. is a broker of peace in the region can see by now that that is not their priority. What Trump wants to do is annihilate Palestinian sovereignty completely, starting with its capitol. This is why we need to continue protesting and attending events like this, to show Trump and Israel that nobody will let them get away with this.”