Kirkland, WA – On October 8, in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, over 300 people rallied in support of the Palestinian liberation movement and against the ongoing Israeli occupation.

The Palestinian resistance has launched a major operation to reclaim their land by any means necessary, and protesters across Seattle gathered in Kirkland to stand with Palestine. The rally was called by Tamkeen Muslim Youth and Council on American-Islamic Relations WA, and many other organizations came out to support. Among those attending were families, children, and other youth from the Palestinian and Arab communities. They waved Palestinian flags and held signs reading “End the siege of Gaza” and “Self determination for Palestine.”

As the event began, around 100 Zionist provocateurs arrived. They held a banner from Congregation Ezra Bezaroth, carried Israeli and U.S. flags, and shouted and spat at the crowd.

Just before the event was scheduled to start, Zionist thugs charged into the crowd and launched an attack, kicking, grabbing and hitting demonstrators with speakers and flagpoles. Other protesters stepped in to de-escalate the situation, and police soon arrived and sprayed pepper gas into the crowd before stationing themselves between the two groups. Later, city buses were called in and parked on either side of the street where pro-Palestine demonstrators faced off against their Zionist attackers.

Despite these unprovoked attacks, demonstrators continued undeterred in their support of the Palestinian resistance. For over three hours, the protest continued and culminated in a march through downtown Kirkland. Spirited chants of “Free, free Palestine!”, “We don’t want two states, we want 1948!” and “In our millions, in our billions, we are all Palestinians!” rang out for the entirely of the protest.

“This is a really big step for Palestinian resistance because we are showing the world how the people of 1948 have been invaded,” said Rabal Haroun, an organizer with Support the Palestinian Voice. “This means even more than last year’s protests and the year before, because we are actually seeing walls being crossed.”

Dre Say, a Filipino union organizer who attended the rally, spoke to the crucial role of solidarity in the fight for liberation of all oppressed peoples. “Palestinian people who are fighting for their own liberation are always in solidarity with struggles across the world for liberation, especially for the struggle for national democracy in the Philippines. I want to respect their leadership, their solidarity and show my own solidarity here today.”

Organizers plan to continue showing their solidarity as events in Palestine rapidly unfold. Another rally, called by Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return, is scheduled for Thursday, October 12 at 12 p.m.

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