Tampa, FL- Hundreds of people in Tampa participated in the National Week of Action to End the Israeli Genocide of Gaza from January 1 – 7. Tampa community members took part in daily political actions aimed at spreading awareness about the ongoing genocide in Gaza and building a movement in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Protests and political actions in support of Palestine have been consistent in the Tampa Bay area since October of last year, causing rising tensions between local politicians and community members.

Each day of the week had a political event that was open to anyone interested in supporting the movement to end the attacks on Gaza. The week’s events included call-ins, flyering, faxing local politicians, online panels, reading groups and a Wear-Your-Keffiyeh day.

Community members in Tampa used these political events to further voice their concerns for the Palestinian people. On January 4, during a flyering event, an activist by the name of Emma Rive stated, “It’s important to move in community and through organizations because so many people are isolated and watching this genocide happen.” A couple dozen people participated in a “Free Palestine” flyering that day, The flyers listed important information regarding local efforts to support Gaza, including the phone numbers of local politicians. Kwame Shakur, founder of the Black Liberation Party and member of the Second Rainbow Coalition, attended the event and said, “The Palestinian liberation movement and the Black liberation movement have a common enemy and that is U.S. imperialism.”

This National Week of Action for Palestine was initiated by United States Palestinian Solidarity Network (USPCN), the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR), and National Student’s for a Democratic Society (SDS). These organizations made a national call for other organizations and their affiliated chapters to host their own week of action to bolster the movement for Palestine in the United States.

In Tampa, the organizations that co-sponsored the week of action were Tampa Bay Community Action Committee, Bay Area Dream Defenders, Students for Socialism, Tampa Bay Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Restorative Justice Coalition, New Era Young Lords Florida Chapter, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society, and Tampa Democratic Socialists of America.

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