Miami FL – On February 11, over 60 people gathered at the Torch of Freedom in Miami during the Miami Heat basketball game to protest a bill up for a vote in the U.S. Senate that would send more than $14 billion to aid in Israel’s genocidal occupation of Palestine.

Laid at the feet of demonstrators were dozens of white cloth bundles, stained red to symbolize the infants killed by the IDF bombing of Gaza. Chants of “From Florida to Palestine, stop the U.S. war machine” and “Money for jobs and education not for war and occupation” rang out to the beat of drums drawing honks, photographs, live streams and support from passersby. Activists distributed informational pamphlets to those exiting the Sunday game and succeeded in distributing every copy they brought.

A speaker gave the reason for the genocide and the necessity of staying the streets, stating, “The genocide in Gaza, why? Because they are trying to resist, they are trying to live!” and quoted Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, “We also deserve to live and we love life,” and for that reason the activist said, “We need to stop this genocide and will not be quite until justice is served!”

Despite slowly escalating police presence, the rally concluded without arrests.

Organizations endorsing the rally of the rally included Freedom Road Socialist Organization in SoFlo, The People for Palestine, Food Not Bombs FtL, SoFlo Antifa, Code Pink SoFlo, Black Rose Miami, Palestine Car Rally, Trans Asylum Seeker Support Network, Samidoun Network, Broward County Democratic Socialist of America, and the SoFlo Working Group to Shut Down Elbit.

#MiamiFL #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #FRSO #Samidoun #CodePink #DSA