Austin, TX – Over 4000 people rallied in front of the Austin State Capitol in support of Palestine on Sunday, October 29. The rally was organized by the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC), a student organization from UT Austin, and included speakers from PSC and Jewish Voices for Peace.

The PSC has long been organizing to stop the Israeli occupation of Palestine and recently ramped up their actions in response to the war, along with the horrible atrocities, like the bombing of hospitals, committed by Israel. One speaker spoke of the importance of remembering that, though this war is three weeks old, it is the culmination of a 75 year occupation.

People chanted over pro-genocide hecklers and listened to speakers for almost an hour before marching from the Capitol to East Ceasar Chavez Street and back. Speeches raised demands that the U.S., and specifically Texas, stop sending aid to Israel. Texas alone has sent over $300 million in aid. A speaker from the PSC said they called the protest to make sure that the world keeps their eyes on Gaza and refuses to ignore the genocide Israel is committing.

One woman spoke to crowd, with tears in her eyes and voice cracking, that she had not prepared a speech or planned to speak, but was moved to say that she was born in Iraq and knows firsthand the horrors of American military aggression and she stands with Palestine.

The crowd chanted things like, “Hey Greg Abott, you will see, Palestine will be free,” “When people are occupied, resistance is justified,” and much more.

The rally had so many people involved and passionately chanting that the pro-Israel genocide deniers trying to interrupt the demonstration could barely be heard even by those closest to them. 

#AustinTX #PalestineSolidarityCommittee #JewishVoiceforPeace

Austin, TX – On March 30, around 30 students and activists from all over Austin converged on the State Capitol building in solidarity with Palestine on Land Day. The action was organized by Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC), a local group dedicated to organizing in solidarity with Palestinians in their struggle against the Israeli occupation.

PSC was joined by many local groups including Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Red Aid, and the United Neighborhood Defense Movement, among others.

As various speakers explained, Land Day is a commemoration of March 30, 1976 when – after the Israeli occupation’s plan to steal thousands of acres of land – Palestinians banded together, organized mass strikes, and protested against the Israeli occupation. In the resulting action, six unarmed Palestinians were murdered, roughly 100 were injured, and hundreds more were arrested.

Speaking for Austin SDS, Justin Clitheroe drew connections between police in the U.S. and the Israeli military. Clitheroe said, “The fight for Palestinian freedom is closely tied to the fight against police crimes right here in the U.S. As we, and other groups, organize against police brutality on our campuses and in our communities, we must also remember that many U.S. police forces, including the APD, have trained with the Israeli Defense Forces, sharing tactics for oppressing protesters who dare to speak out against the injustices that the police commit.”

Nura Bawab, an organizer with PSC, said, “We recognize that these instances of repression are not isolated incidents. That these killings, arrests and brutality from the state are consistently used as a means to suppress the Palestinian fight for self determination. It is not something that should be normalized. Rather it is a reminder of the violence that is intrinsically necessary by Israel to continue their settler colonial project.”

Bawab also emphasized the continued Palestinian resistance, reminding us that “Palestinians in Gaza began the Great March of Return, which became one of the largest popular protests against Israel and the illegal blockade in recent history.”

After the speeches, the action continued with a march down 11th Street and concluded with a banner drop over Interstate 35.

#AustinTX #StudentMovement #Palestine #MiddleEast #PeoplesStruggles #PalestinianLandDay #AustinSDS #PalestineSolidarityCommittee