Appleton, WI: Community holds vigil for Palestine
Appleton, WI – On the evening of Friday, December 15, the community held a vigil for the Palestinian martyrs of the ongoing genocide. The event came in the wake of the grim milestone of over 19,000 Palestinians murdered by the U.S.-funded and armed Israeli regime since October 7.
Local organizers and faith leaders gave speeches, led prayers, and read poems to over 50 community members in Appleton’s City Park. The speakers stood in front of an elegant banner that proclaimed “Honor the martyrs. Victory to Palestine.”
The Green Bay Anti-War Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Oshkosh Student Socialist Association organized the vigil.
FRSO’s Mary Blackburn began by calling on everyone to take motivation from the valiant resistance of the Palestinian liberation movement, as well as from the people all over the world mobilizing for a free Palestine.
Green Bay activist and Palestinian American Reema Abusalma held a moment of silence before asking those present to take extra time to appreciate their loved ones and relative security, but also to use their position to continue public advocacy for Palestine and to participate in the boycott, divest and sanction movement. A member of the nearby mosque led the crowd in prayer, first in Arabic, then English, before a Palestinian community member read a moving poem.
The somber occasion began with a police officer confronting the organizers, who stood firm, and the officer left the scene. Attendees lit their candles and carried on with no further interruptions.