San Jose protesters shut it down for Palestine on Black Friday
San José, CA – On Black Friday, November 24, over a 1000 pro-Palestine protesters took over San Jose’s Westfield Valley Fair Mall, the largest shopping mall in Northern California, to disrupt business as usual on this massive consumer holiday.
The protest occurred in the midst of a five-day humanitarian truce agreement between the Palestinian resistance and Israel. Organizers made clear that this temporary truce is insufficient, demanding an end to Israeli occupation.
Apple, Chanel, Levi’s, Michael Kors, Sephora, and Prada are just a few companies in the Westfield mall that are pro-Israel. The CEOs of these companies belong to the same corporate ruling class profiteering off the U.S.-backed Israeli war on Palestine. Organizers called for the end to all U.S. aid to Israel, pointing out the fact that this aid consists of billions of our tax dollars.
Organizers also called for the release of the thousands of Palestinian political prisoners being held by Israel and insisted on the right of return for Palestinian refugees and their descendants. They uplifted the critical necessity of international solidarity with the Palestinian resistance, urging people to continue showing up and demonstrating their power and unity in the streets.
The protest was organized by a coalition of organizations including Silicon Valley for Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement, Black Outreach, Hero Tent, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.