Seattle rallies in solidarity with Palestine
Seattle, WA – On October 14, over 1000 people rallied in Westlake Park to show support for the liberation of the Palestinian people.
Since the successful offensive by the Palestinian Resistance only a week before, many organizations in Seattle and across the world have held massive demonstrations showing support for Palestine. Amid calls by the Israeli minister of defense for “total war on Gaza,” calling Gazans “human animals” and making plans to treat them as such, the Seattle community has been made it clear that they support the right for Gaza to defend itself.
The rally began in Westlake Park, and then marched through the heart of downtown Seattle. Protesters chanted “One, two, three, four! Occupation no more! Five, six, seven eight! Israel is a terrorist state!” and “Palestine is our demand, no peace on stolen land!” as they took to the streets.
The International League of People’s Struggle, joined by Freedom Road Socialist Organization-Seattle, formed a contingent and gave speeches during the march.
Carly Brooks, a member of Resist US-Led War, spoke, “This movement does not come from a position of comfort. It comes from the most impoverished area of our people, under siege, on the front lines confronting Israel. This is the time to support the Palestinian armed forces and the Lebanese resistance. The time is now to take a position, to be clear, to stand for justice. Do not wait until after the battle is done.”
Riqui Castellanoz, a member of the Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, weighed in, “The police is an entity that is made to oppress people. That’s what they do. It goes hand in hand with what Israel is doing in Palestine. I joined the Seattle Alliance because of the repression I saw all around me. It is our duty to fight for everyone, especially the oppressed, all over the world.”
As the rally came to a close after nearly three hours, Bissan Barghouti of Samidoun Seattle took to the stage and echoed the powerful words of the Palestinian poet Samih Al-Qasim:
You may build walls of hatred around me, You may glue my eyes to humiliations, O enemy of the sun, But I shall not compromise, and to the last pulse in my veins, I shall Resist!