Denver, CO – Around 1:30 p.m., the Colorado Palestine Coalition began a protest to shut down day three of the Jewish National Fund’s (JNF) Global Conference for Israel. The protest began with a rally at the state capitol before leading a crowd of over 1000 to march to the Colorado Convention Center, where the JNF’s events are being held as they continue to fundraise for genocide of the Palestinian people. The people of Denver continue to fight against the occupation of Palestine and the JNF.

“To the cowards at the JNF, we have a few simple demands,” said Hatem Teirelbar of Students for a Democratic Society, “One: Release all Palestinian hostages. Two: Lift the siege on Gaza. Three: End all U.S. aid to so-called Israel. Four: End all trade and business with Israel. And five: An end to the cooperation between U.S. universities with Israel and weapons corporations.” As the crowd roared with applause after each demand, it became clear that activists will not stop fighting until Palestine is free.

The rally then continued with Nazek Sankari, a member of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) who flew in from Chicago, stating, “In Chicago, we have been mobilizing and targeting our so-called progressive Representative Jan Schakowsky – and one who has thousands of Palestinians in his district, Sean Casten – due to their silence on the genocide, unequivocal support for Israel and unrelenting attacks on Palestinians and their unified resistance, which is fighting to defend our people from the vicious, racist Israeli military that has destroyed Gaza,” Nazek stated to thunderous applause.

Nazek Sankari and other national speakers put on display how this struggle is one that stretches across the U.S., and internationally to Palestine. Without U.S. aid to Israel, the apartheid state would fall. It is essential to keep up actions within the U.S. to support the Palestinian resistance.

After the rally, the massive crowd flooded the streets of Denver with chants supporting Palestinian liberation and denouncing the Israeli occupation. Many onlookers cheered in support.

Upon arrival at the convention center, the event was met with a militarized police response; however, protesters would not be intimidated by this threat. Organizers continued the event with more chants and speeches without any interruption.

While the Colorado Palestine Coalition was not able to shut down the JNF conference, coalition leader Abdulluh Elagha did voice a different achievement that was won, the shut-down of Denver. The Colorado Convention Center was built to increase profits for local businesses, as conference-goers typically will spend their money around Denver. However, the Colorado Palestine Coalition made sure there would be no more business as usual. Since the start of the JNF’s conference, marches and blocked-off roads have made navigating Denver by car a nightmare, buses and light rails have been shut down, and the JNF attendees themselves were too ashamed to face protesters and spend their money in public, ordering catering instead.

With the profits of Denver businesses stymied by protests against the JNF, they will surely not want the JNF back in town. As a result, organizers across the U.S. now have an excellent blueprint for how to agitate against a JNF conference if the JNF attempts to come to their city.

After wrapping up speeches at the convention center, protesters rallied back to the capitol to conclude the protest.

Denver showed out this weekend in support of Palestine in the face of the JNF, but the fight continues until Palestine achieves national liberation. If the last two months of organizing are any indication, the people of Denver are more than up to the task of furthering the struggle until all their demands are met, and Palestine is free.

#DenverCO #COPalestineCo #JNF #USPCN #FreePalestine

Denver, CO – About 400 protesters gathered on the Auraria Campus, November 30, to march on the first day of the Jewish National Fund’s Global Conference for Israel.

The Jewish National Fund (JNF) is a Zionists’ organization older than the state of Israel itself, and which has a long history of supporting the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. The protest marched over to the conference uninterrupted and, despite a massive police presence and multiple threats by police, were able to successfully disrupt the Zionist event. Denver made it clear that genocide is not welcome in their city.

The protest began with speakers who denounced Colorado Governor Jared Polis for attending the JNF conference, condemned Israel for its war crimes, and celebrated the victories of the Palestinian resistance.

“In less than four hours, the ceasefire will end, and Israel will resume its genocidal slaughter in Gaza. Less than a mile from here, 2000 Zionists are celebrating that,” said Hatem Teirelbar of the Students for a Democratic Society. Teirelbar then went on to credit the Palestinian resistance for forcing this truce in the first place, and other victories made by the resistance.

Once fully energized, the crowd took to the streets to march on the Colorado Convention Center, where the JNF events were being held.

At the Colorado Convention Center, activists gathered their forces up against the doors of the west entrance, immediately finding a militarized police response. These police cowered inside the doors wore bulletproof vests and helmets while protesters yelled and chanted from outside. Despite protesters having no ability or intention to get through the doors, police put up signs stating that “chemical agents” would be deployed if protesters did not back away. This was nothing but an intimidation tactic. No tear gas was ever deployed, and attendees, many of whom were no stranger to tear gas, stood strong.

After around 30 minutes, the coalition marched around to the north entrance of the conference and continued their action. Disruption escalated from here, as protesters began to bang on the windows and shout at the Zionists inside as they walked through security and around the center.

After 20 minutes at the north entrance, protesters marched back to the west entrance to finish the event. Here, it was announced that despite the best efforts of the JNF to exclude the public, one protester had made it inside. This individual relayed information that the conference was very small and those inside could hear protesters loud and clear.

Earlier in the week the JNF had rescinded the vast majority of free tickets given out in an effort to silence pro-Palestinian voices, leading to the low turnout for the event. While there was no protest inside, people power can never be silenced, and the Zionist’s own tactics still clearly backfired upon them.

While the main protest went off without a hitch or police violence, unfortunately, five Denver Police cars trapped a small group of as they walked back to their cars and arrested two members of the Denver Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). These individuals had done nothing wrong. Their arrest was a clear intimidation tactic by the Denver Police Department, which has a long history of police brutality and protest suppression.

The power of the people is unstoppable. The arrest these activists will only increase the fury and strength of the Palestinian movement, which will keep fighting until there is an end to the occupation and a free Palestine.

#DenverCO #JNF #SDS #FreePalestine #Feature