Colorado Springs demands end to U.S. aid for Israel with 2 days of protests
Colorado Springs, CO – On November 5 and 6, the Colorado Springs People’s Coalition organized two days of noise demonstrations that sent a powerful message that Colorado Springs stands in solidarity with all Palestinians in their struggle for freedom. The Colorado Autonomous Brown Berets and Partido Nacional de La Raza Unida also endorsed the event, showcasing the unity between the Palestinian and Chicano people.
The rally held on Sunday, November 5, coincided with a larger march in Denver, a day after the national march on Washington DC. The crowd gathered outside of Senator John Hickenlooper’s downtown office, waving Palestinian flags and holding signs of support for Palestine. Palestinian music played as the crowd proclaimed their demands for an end to U.S. aid to Israel, and a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. Several activists spoke movingly about the history of apartheid in Palestine, as well as the urgency of stopping the rapidly escalating genocide.
The crowd then marched several blocks to Senator Michael Bennet's office. As they walked, they chanted and sang messages of freedom, while distributing educational flyers to counter Zionist misinformation. At the second office, they expressed anger at the ongoing support given to Israel even as that country's military commits atrocities against the Palestinian people. The calls to end lethal aid were joined with demands that the money instead be sent to Gaza, where people are still without food or water while Israel continues its indiscriminate bombing campaign. Sunday’s rally concluded with a moment of silence for the victims of genocide.
On Monday, November 6, the crowd showed their support of the Palestinian cause as they gathered outside the two senators’ offices for a second day. This day was harder for staffers to ignore, as they had to walk past the protesters to enter or leave the building for work. Speakers included Hatem Teirelbar of Students for a Democratic Society, Palestinian-American activist Alex Khoury, and several local people of conscience who expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine, as well as admiration for their courage in the face of unrelenting oppression.
“We say victory to the resistance! Because we believe a return to the norm is a return to occupation and that is unacceptable,” said Paul Nelson of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
The day ended with an expression of optimism as speakers urged the crowd not to give up. Many such struggles have been won against overwhelming odds, and the people of Palestine are sure to win their freedom.