Brooklyn, NY – Several hundred gathered on Saturday, May 13 in Bay Ridge, commonly known as “Little Palestine,” to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Nakba.

The protest was called by Within Our Lifetime and was endorsed by several anti-imperialist organizations in New York. The afternoon began at 2 p.m. with face painting, music and vendors selling items to attendees. Despite the family-friendly atmosphere, the NYPD brought out a large number of officers trying to curtail the activities.

After a series of chants by Nerdeen Kiswani, Rude Mechanical Orchestra kept spirits militant and energized by playing revolutionary music. Kiswani continued with a speech about why pro-Palestine forces mark the day yearly, talking about the catastrophe, and emphasizing the past 75 years were marked by resistance.

The crowd continued with speeches and chants, and then later in the afternoon, a march ensued throughout Brooklyn.

#BrooklynNY #Palestine #AlNakba #MiddleEast

Los Angeles, CA – 20,000 strong, the Palestinian community and supporters throughout Southern California descended upon the West Los Angeles Wilshire Federal Building and marched to the Israeli Consulate. Protesters demanded an end to the occupation of all historical Palestine and the dismantling of apartheid by the Israeli colonial entity responsible for the terror and mass displacement of Palestinians since 1948, and for and end the violence endured by neighboring Arab countries.

For Palestinians, May 15 marks Al Nakba – Arabic for The Catastrophe. During the 1948 war, at least 750,000 Palestinian men, women and children were ruthlessly attacked, massacred and driven from their homes by Zionist terror groups, and have never been allowed to return, in violation of international law. 2021 marks 73 years of U.S.-backed Israeli land theft, occupation, and apartheid.

This year we are not talking about Al-Nakba as an historic event but one that is still ongoing. Within the past month, the Zionist entity has violently attacked Jerusalem, what Palestinians consider their capital, during the holy month of Ramadan, with a surge of violence by the Israeli Occupation during the last few days of Ramadan. Hundreds were left injured and holy sites were desecrated. Deaths were reported throughout the West Bank, while the Israeli Occupation leveraged brutal violence on Palestinians in historical Palestine. Gazan civilians were also bombed, with the death count mounting. This all comes after a year of economic strangulation and mounting harsh living conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Demands at the Nakba 73 March included “Free Palestine,” “Unification of all segments of Palestinians,” and “Stop U.S. armament shipments to Israel.” Chants of “From the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free” and “Long Live the Intifada” – could be heard as marchers undertook the two-mile trek through the streets of West L.A. to voice their grievances at the Zionist consulate.

In attendance were various local groups and organizations. The pro-Palestinian contingent was a diverse crowd of various peoples, many of whom brought their own flags to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Among the contingent of marchers were many Palestinian flags, but also Armenian, Afghan, Egyptian, Syrian, Lebanese, Jordanian, Mexican, Salvadoran, Pan-African, and Croatian flags waving in solidarity with Palestine. A counter-protest of pro-Zionists congregated a block away, but their numbers were substantially lower than that of the pro-Palestinian crowd.

The overall response of the march and rally was relatively positive, with many drivers honking their horns in support and many onlookers standing outside of their homes to cheer on the marchers.

Participating organizations included the US Palestinian Community Network, Palestinian Youth Movement, American Muslims for Palestine, Free Democratic Palestine Movement, and Yalla Indivisible.

#LosAngelesCA #Palestine #PeoplesStruggles #AlNakba #MiddleEast

Tampa, FL – On May 15, 500 members of the Palestinian community and supporters from Tampa Bay rallied to demand an end to the Israeli attacks on Gaza. This year on May 15 marks the 73rd anniversary of the Nakba. Al Nakba is the day in 1948 in which at least 750,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes by Zionist terror groups and settlers.

Lara Abu Ghannam, an organizer of the event, stated “We’re out here today to commemorate the 73rd Al Nakba, the exodus of my people, which displaced them and made them to flee the violence of Israeli colonizers. My own family, my own mother had fled when she was a few months old to Jordan.”

Hundreds of protesters crowded on the corner of 56th and Fowler to demand an end to the Israeli occupation. Many more honked in support while driving by, their cars decorated with flags and signs in support.

Laith Abdel Hader, member of Students for Justice for Palestine at USF, states, “The momentum that we got today is unprecedented. I haven’t seen this much support for the Palestinian cause in my years of organizing and this shows how the Palestinian cause has become a mainstream issue. This brings us one step closer to liberation.”

The protesters demonstrated solidarity with the people of Palestine living under the brutal Israeli occupation. Members of the community of all backgrounds joined to show their support.

Erika Santana Melendez stated her reasoning for attending the protest, “I’m from Puerto Rico. We are absolutely connected with this issue of colonization, and if we allow the colonization of Palestinians, we allow the colonization of my people as well.”

The protesters demanded an end to the Israeli occupation. They urged the people of the United States continue showing up for protests, posting on social media, and demanding for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) of Israeli products or companies that send financial support to Israel.

#TampaFL #