Harvey, LA – On the evening of January 20, hundreds of Palestinians gathered at a local mosque to commemorate 17-year-old New Orleans native Tawfik Abdeljabbar. The day before, an undisclosed Israeli officer murdered Abdeljabbar in the Palestinian village of Al-Mazra’a on the West Bank.

“We’ve been marching for three months now, advocating about what’s going on. Now it really hits home when a New Orleanian gets killed, gets shot in the head while driving. I haven’t heard a word from any representatives. What’s it gonna take for them to say something?” said Mo Abdel, an organizer and speaker for the Masjid Omar mosque.

Abdeljabbar studied at the Muslim Academy Gretna Islamic School. “Tawfik was funny, beautiful, smart, witty and always had something sarcastic and hilarious to say,” says Sherean Murad, vice principal of Muslim Academy and Abdeljabbar’s former teacher. “He was also an American citizen. His parents pay taxes like me and you – taxes that funded the same weapons that were used to murder him in cold blood.”

At the vigil, men shook hands and gave heartfelt embraces to family members. Earlier that day, women gathered at a private residence to do the same.

“It’s honestly devastating. My heart goes out to his brother, who couldn’t make it here because he’s still in the West Bank,” said Mohammad Abdel-Wahhab, Abdeljabbar’s cousin.

The commemoration was solemn, but participants sharply condemned both the Zionist occupation and the U.S. government’s support for it.

“This boy was just starting with his life, his education. To them he’s not more valuable than a chicken,” said Mohammad Salem, Abdeljabbar’s uncle. “I call this a terrorist nation. By sending them arms the U.S. supports the terrorists.”

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Harvey, LA – On October 14, over 100 protesters gathered at a busy intersection at the heart of Harvey’s Arab community to declare unconditional support for the Palestinian people’s resistance movement. People of all ages gathered at the intersection of Lapalco and Manhattan Boulevards waving Palestinian flags and carrying signs reading, “Occupation is a crime!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

The rally began with a vigil honoring and mourning the lives lost in Gaza and the West Bank. After being led in a mourner’s kaddish, a Jewish prayer, speakers from the New Orleans Palestinian community spoke on their personal struggles, their fury, and why firm solidarity with the Palestinian people is more important than ever.

“We say, ‘Shame on them, shame on these people who stand for apartheid and colonialism! We will forever scream Palestine from the rooftops!’” said Aishah Abdallah, a Palestinian student at University of New Orleans.

Abdallah continued, “It’s not a complex conflict like the media is trying to tell us; we as Palestinians have the right to our land. Decolonization is not just some academic papers or a pretty concept. Decolonization is action. Decolonization is us!”

As more speakers came to share their support and stories, there were honks, shouts and waves from passing cars whose passengers waved Palestinian flags and cheered on the rally. Adam Pedesclaux from Students United condemned Israel’s violent war machine, saying “it is fueled by weapons and money from the governments of the United States and Europe.”

Pedesclaux continued, “Israel is second in the world for money spent per capita on their military, even more than the United States. It makes sense, because they have a lot to be afraid of, since they terrorize countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa, bringing violence and terror.”

Despite threats of violence made to pro-Palestine organizers, this rally and vigil carried on. It followed a powerful march initiated by the Palestinian community in downtown New Orleans the previous Monday. The big march inspired this local community rally.

Chants of “There is only one solution! Intifada, revolution!” and “Intifada, intifada, long live the intifada!” asserted the right of the Palestinian people to resist occupation and genocide by any means necessary. The crowd’s energy and volume carried over the noise of the crowded intersection and drowned out random hecklers and engine noise.

As the rally died down, much of the crowd remained to chant and express solidarity and condolences, making their message clear: the people of New Orleans stand in unity with the Palestinian struggle for liberation.

#HarveyLA #NewOrleansLA #Palestine