New Orleans, LA- On the evening of Wednesday, September 25, close to 100 New Orleanians gathered in front of the Federal Building to protest Israel’s increased offensive in Lebanon and the U.S. government’s continued facilitation of Israel’s atrocities.

The rally began by paying tribute to Khalifa Ibn Rayford Daniel, who was mercilessly executed by the State of Missouri the day before. Despite the prosecution’s serious doubts regarding the integrity of his conviction and pleas from his family, the State refused to grant Daniel clemency.

“Imam Khalifa, from his prison cell, saw the connection between the occupation and terror attacks on the Arab world and his own oppressors here. The America that sends a never-ending supply of bombs to Israel has no more humanity for its own citizens than for the citizens of Palestine and Lebanon,” said a NOSHIP member. “Let me remind you how the U.S. went from killing 1 million people in Iraq over 20 years to funding at least 50,000 murders in Gaza in one year, to now 500 people in one day in Lebanon,” she continued.

Speakers highlighted the sheer scale of Israel’s atrocities towards the people of Lebanon. Last week, Israel carried out two bombing campaigns. It detonated thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies indiscriminately, killing hundreds and maiming thousands, including children and first-responders all throughout the country. Israel followed its terrorist attack with an increased air offensive against the South of Lebanon earlier this week. It issued evacuation orders akin to those spread throughout Gaza over the past year, to make room for Israel’s spree of abject destruction extending as far north of the country as the Beqaa Valley.

The protest was organized by New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and gathered the support and endorsement of close to a dozen organizations including Loyola and Tulane Students for a Democratic Society, Vote of the Experienced, New Orleans Community Oversight of Police, and Democratic Socialists of America.

“Our government is not complicit in this genocide – complicity would be far too kind. They are the perpetrators, they are the murderers,” said Blu DiMarco from the FRSO. In response, the crowd chanted “Shame!” and “End the killing, stop the bombs, Israel out of Lebanon!”

“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have done nothing to stop this escalation, and they won’t. This rotten system has forced the people to choose between voting for these genocidal democrats and the xenophobic Trump. We say fuck that, keep fighting back in the streets!” continued DiMarco.

As the sun set over the crowd, the energy carried on as the emcee gave a reminder of a recent local movement win. On Friday, September 20, 14 protesters who were arrested and charged in relation to protests at the Tulane and Loyola popular University for Gaza in last May were found “not guilty” by a New Orleans Criminal District Judge. This was the first trial nationwide regarding student encampment protests. “Who got the power? We got the power!” chanted the crowd.

“Let this be a reminder and a lesson to all of our enemies that when they start a fire, we pour gasoline,” said the an organizer with NOSHIP. “We will continue to speak out, organize, and strike blows against the Zionist entity and its supporters at home. We owe it to ourselves and to the brave fighters in Palestine to struggle against our enemies until the very end, especially when faced with repression,” she continued.

The crowd dispersed after two hours of speeches and chants, with a reminder to reconvene and take the streets of downtown New Orleans on October 5, marking nearly one year of genocide and one year of resistance.

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