Salt Lake City breaks bread in solidarity with Rasmea Odeh
Salt Lake City, UT – Over 30 Rasmea Odeh supporters filled City Cakes, a bakery in Salt Lake City, on August 16 to raise money for Odeh’s legal defense. People came to donate and show solidarity with Rasmea Odeh, the Palestinian American women’s leader in Chicago. Odeh is preparing for an appeal that will take place in Cincinnati, Ohio later this fall.
Odeh was tortured, raped and imprisoned by the Israeli military back in the late 1960s, but lived legally in the U.S. for 20 years, 10 of them as a citizen. In an unfair trial where she was not allowed to talk about being a victim of Israeli military torture or the Israeli occupation of Palestine, she was convicted on a minor immigration violation. Odeh is the target of U.S. government political repression.
“It’s important to show folks that Salt Lake City has and will stand with Rasmea Odeh as long as this fight is going on.” said Alyssa Farris. The Utah Anti-War Committee (UAWC) raised hundreds of dollars for Rasmea Odeh’s legal defense, as she continues to fight to stay out of prison and then being deported to a country that is not her own.
“Nothing beats a packed house, especially when it’s for an important cause!” said one happy diner.
Palestinian restaurant O’ Falafel, City Cakes, and local grocers donated to the dinner. “I think it says a lot that we were able to reach out to the community and ask them to provide all of this,” said Ian Decker of UAWC.
Members of the Utah Anti-War Committee, Revolutionary Students’ Union and the Salt Lake City community brought their friends and families to break bread in solidarity with Rasmea Odeh.
