Grand Rapids commemorates the Nakba
Grand Rapids, Mi – On Wednesday, May 14, 30 people gathered near Rosa Parks Circle. in Grand Rapids, MI, to commemorate the 77th anniversary of al-Nakba and honor the generations of Palestinians who have struggled against Israeli occupation.
77 years ago, armed Israeli settlers launched a genocidal campaign of violence which displaced over 750,000 Palestinians from their homes – committing hundreds of massacres in the process. These armed gangs quickly reorganized to become Israel’s formal military. In the decades since, Israel has built cities, national parks and public infrastructure atop of the 531 Palestinian villages ethnically cleansed in 1948.
Chanting “End U.S. aid to Israel!” and “From Grand Rapids to Palestine, protesting is not a crime!” The protesters confronted Zionist counter-protesters and blocked the Israeli flag from view using an even larger Palestinian flag. During this, police showed up to try and intimidate the pro-Palestinian protesters but quickly left.
The police presence surrounding the Nakba day protest was on everyone’s mind. Last year, four organizers with Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids were arrested and charged with misdemeanors for marching through the street.
Speakers from the group emphasized the connection between policing in the U.S. and Israel – calling out GRPD specifically for their recent crackdown on protests and the FBI raids on Palestine activists at the University of Michigan.
“The parallels between militarized policing here in the United States and Israel is no coincidence,” one protester said. “We owe it to the Palestinian people to not only stand in solidarity with them but to also organize the end of our own involvement in this catastrophe!”
In this past year, Israel has completely leveled Gaza, started a siege on the West Bank, and has forced famine upon the millions in Gaza. On May 15 alone – which is Nakba Day – Israel killed over 100 people in a few short hours and heavily bombed sections of Jabalia and Beit Lahia.
Tony O’Hegarty, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, stated: “I joined this movement because I learned about the Nakba shortly before October 7, 2023. This country teaches us that we ought to support Israel unconditionally – that’s wrong! Palestine taught us to be brave! We want Palestine to be free!”
As rain fell on the protesters, people chanted slogans like “No more money for Israel’s crimes!” and “Resistance is justified when people are occupied!”
People must stand up for Palestine on Nakba Day every year – even after Palestine has freed itself from the river to the sea.