Santa Ana commemorates one-year anniversary of Al-Aqsa Flood
Santa Ana, CA – On October 6, activists and community members gathered for a film screening of The Night Won’t End: Biden’s War on Gaza followed by a discussion on the U.S.’s role in the ongoing genocide against Palestinians.
The event began with Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) member Diana Terreros explaining the significance of the Palestinian resistance operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent brutal attacks Israel launched against Palestine.
On the role U.S. companies play in the genocide, Terreros said, “U.S. companies such as Disney fund and support Israel, and many of them, like Amazon and Google have contracts with Israel and therefore profit from it. Without the support from the U.S., Israel could not keep this genocide going on this massive scale.” This was followed by chants of “Free free Palestine!” and “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel's crimes!”
After the film, CSO OC member Stefanie Dorantes spoke on why Israeli officials’ approach after Al-Aqsa Flood was “a complete siege on Gaza” to ensure it would not return to what it was before, explaining that genocide was always part of the Israeli project. “Israel's mission from the beginning was always to eradicate Palestine. They don’t want Palestine to exist,” said Dorantes.
David Pulido, member of Freedom Road Socialist organization, stated, “The U.S. doesn’t support Israel for moral reasons. Israel is a projection of U.S. power in the region. The U.S. tries to control the flow and stability of resources like oil all around the world, including in the Middle East. It also wants to suppress challenges to its power in the region, not only from other capitalists but also from countries trying to exercise control over their own governments and economies, such as Iran or Yemen.”
CSO OC member Rain Mendoza made the connection between Israeli armed forces and the police in the U.S., stating, “The way Israeli armed forces act with impunity reminds me of the way cops in the U.S. kill working-class and nationally oppressed people while rarely facing any legal repercussions. Also, whenever police kill people, the first thing the department and media do is smear the victim and create a narrative of how the murderous officer handled the situation appropriately and feared for their life. This is the same narrative the Israel government has taken up, always claiming that they have a right to defend themselves.”
As the event came to an end Terreros closed out the discussion stating, “The resistance shown by the people of Palestine, the Palestinian liberation movement, and protesters around the world has been inspiring and has made it clear that the people will not stand by while this genocide continues, adding, “The resistance to this genocide across the globe and especially in Palestine is led by brave people who are willing to lose everything fighting for the liberation of Palestine and this resistance will be successful!”