New York, NY – Over 200 people gathered in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn for a press conference, rally and march, May 14, in response to moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, the historical capital of Palestine. It also marked 70 years since the Nakba, or the catastrophe, where Palestinians were driven from their homes. The protest stood in solidarity with the Great Return March, and took place right after the massacre of Palestinian protesters in Gaza.

The event started with a press conference. The organizations represented included those in the NY4Palestine coalition, as well as other organizations that support Palestine. Nerdeen Kiswani from Within Our Lifetime – United for Palestine introduced the press conference, stating, “Today is a historic day in Bay Ridge, because the Palestinian community here that has existed for decades is standing up and declaring themselves as a part of the Great Return March.” Bay Ridge is a particularly symbolic location, as it has a large Palestinian population, and is nicknamed “Little Palestine.”

After the press conference, the crowd rallied and then marched around the neighborhood. Protesters led chants and waved Palestinian flags, receiving attention from residents in the area.

The action was organized by NY4Palestine and was a lead-up event to Nakba Day 2018: Great Return March protest set for Friday May 18 at 3 p.m. in Times Square. For more details about that action, visit the Facebook event page here.

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