SDS joins all day picket line at Jewish National Fund’s ‘Global Conference for Israel’
Denver, CO – Around 2 p.m. on December 1, the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) were joined by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) to march from Auraria Campus to an all-day picket in front of the Colorado Convention Center.
The picket, hosted by the Colorado Palestine Coalition drew about 250 participants, for day two of the Jewish National Fund’s (JNF) “Global Conference for Israel.” Activists picketed outside of the conference and stood up to the militarized police response, which threatened the protest for the entirety of the day.
At the event, the student activists from Auraria Campus joined the younger students participating in the Denver Public Schools walkout. Organizing high school walkouts can be a daunting task, and SDS showed their respect and appreciation for this achievement by planning their march to coincide with the DPS walkout. The youth of Denver showed they unequivocally stand with the Palestinian resistance.
Police at the event stood by in full riot gear, holding pepper-ball guns at the ready to intimidate protesters. However, these activists would not be intimidated by the threat of police violence, understanding that when the stakes are as high as genocide, they must stand strong.
Activists talked amongst each other, shared food, chanted, prayed and listened to speakers throughout the day. The capitalist media continually attacks events such as today’s picket as “supporting terrorism” or “violent.” but actions speak louder than words. After nearly two months of suppression by media and police, protesters are still holding strong. It appears they will continue to do so until their demands for a free Palestine are met.
On the other side, the JNF has been involved in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine since before the creation of the settler-colonial project known as Israel. They created the “Village Files,” used to systemically displace and slaughter Palestinians in the first Nakba. The theft of land orchestrated by the JNF in 1948 has directly led to the circumstances of today, with 70% of settlers living on JNF “owned” land.
Denver recognizes the crimes committed by the JNF and the Israeli occupation. While Denver’s politicians cozy up to the JNF in hopes of campaign funding, the people of Denver continue to fight back and resist their city’s complicity in genocide.
There are still two more days of the Zionist conference to come. The masses will continue refusing to allow these shameful events to go unchallenged.