10,000 march in Los Angeles for Palestine
Los Angeles, CA – On Saturday, October 14, over 10,000 people rallied for Palestine outside of the Israeli Consulate in West Los Angeles. The protesters carried Palestinian flags and signs reading, “End U.S. aid to Israel” and “Victory to the Palestinian resistance!”
A wave of solidarity swept through the massive crowd, with thousands of impassioned voices chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” and “Biden, Biden, you can't hide, we charge you with genocide!”
The rally started at 12:30 p.m. with speakers from a wide variety of organizations voicing their backing of the recent Palestinian “Operation Al Aqsa Flood,” a tremendous resistance began on October 7 by Palestinians opposing Israel's genocidal occupation.
After the Palestinian offensive against Israeli military targets and armed settlers, over 1000 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombs and Israeli settler attacks withing a week. In the U.S., tens of thousands mobilized in big cities, while hundreds and thousands in smaller American cities took to the streets in solidarity.
“The U.S. is directly complicit in our suffering. They have sent Israel $3.8 billion in military aid every year. They finance these Zionist crimes against our people,” a representative from the Union of Palestinian Women said.
Countering U.S. and Israeli government messaging, the Los Angeles protest is one of a many promoting the idea that Palestinian actions represent the legitimate struggle for freedom and the end of Israeli occupation. Operation Al Aqsa Flood has emerged as a turning point, reshaping the dynamics of a conflict long characterized by one-sided warfare. No longer confined, the Palestinian resistance has boldly dismantled barriers, forging a path towards reclaiming their inherent rights and liberties.
The large crowd marched a mile down Wilshire Boulevard to a building that houses the FBI's Los Angeles offices, shutting down the southbound lanes of the nearby 405 freeway.
Protesters chanted the entire way, “Long live Palestine!” “Justice is our demand” and “End the occupation now!”
The demonstration was peaceful except for a group of pro-Israeli reactionaries. Wearing Israeli flags around their necks, they pepper-sprayed protesters and cowardly ran away.
Around 4:15 p.m., leaders of the demonstration called for an end to the protest, and people drove away with Palestine flags hanging out of the windows of their cars. As the world watches and stands in solidarity, the promise of a free Palestine is closer.