Tampa, FL – Dozens of people in the Tampa community came together at the C. Blythe Andrews Library on Saturday, February 24 to discuss the connection between Black and Palestinian Liberation.

The panel members included Deanna Joseph of the Andrew Joseph III Foundation; Lamia Moukaddam, of Central Florida Queers for Palestine; and Kobi Guillory, of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

The panel was moderated by Antwan Glover, a man arrested and brutalized by Lakeland police department and now facing bogus charges. The panel was hosted by Tampa Bay Community Action Committee. Discussing such topics as the importance of fighting back even in the face of political repression, how to fight for change even though lawmakers want to ignore the ongoing genocide in Palestine, and how things have changed in both liberation fights since the George Floyd uprising and the Al-Aqsa Flood. Speakers touched on the history of the Black liberation movement’s connection to Palestinian liberation, from the Black Panthers visiting Palestine to Palestinians teaching protesters in Ferguson how to resist tear gas manufactured in Israel.

Highlighting the importance of direct action against politicians who want to continue “business as usual,” panelist Lamia Moukaddam said, “Make sure they get no peace, they do not get to live a peaceful life while signing papers that kill thousands.”

Deanna Joseph, who has a history of success in fighting for some accountability for the negligence that resulted in her son’s death at the hands of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, explained, “At the end of the day, it’s on us to free us. Otherwise, we are part of the problem and we are as guilty as them.”

Joseph and her husband founded the Andrew Joseph III Foundation after their son’s death to advocate for safe communities for children and youth referrals for resources, and to advocate for legal change, through the ending of the doctrine of qualified immunity, which shields cops from consequences when kill and abuse on the job.

The connection between the systems of oppression was brought home when Tampa Bay Community Action Committee member Yun Zheng spoke about how the Lakeland Police Department that arrested and brutalized Antwan Glover has publicly stated its support for Israel.

The panelists ended the event by calling for people to continue to come out in the streets, support those facing repression like Antwan and Lamia, and to not lose hope in the ability of the people’s movement to resist.

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