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

Minneapolis, MN – The MN Anti-War Committee (AWC) wanted to be a part of Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network’s global week of action for Palestinian Land Day but they couldn’t do it as a protest the way they had originally planned. Instead on March 24 the MN AWC reorganized their protest as a call-in day, and then did a five-person social distancing bannering protest.

In 1976, Land Day marked a turning point as the first mass mobilization by Palestinians within Israel against colonialism and land theft. Israeli police shot and killed six Palestinian citizens of Israel for protesting the Israeli government's expropriation of Palestinian land. Land Day’s significance in the Palestinian political calendar was compounded in 2018, when hundreds were killed and thousands injured by Israeli sniper fire as Palestinians demanded their Right of Return to their stolen land with mass protests in Gaza, called the Great March of Return.

The MN AWC asked all their supporters to call Minnesota U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar at 202-224-3244 or 612-727-5220 to demand she change her position on U.S. aid to Israel.

In addition to the call-in day, the MN Anti-War Committee still sent five of their healthy committee members to hold signs, Palestinian flags and a banner on the bridge which runs from Loring Park to the Walker Sculpture Garden over Interstate 94.

Misty Rowan, an activist with the MN Anti-War Committee was on the bridge and explained, “This action was planned to coincided with Land Day, an important Palestinian date on the calendar. Our action was part of an international call for actions on the anniversary of the Great March of Return, something Palestinians have been struggling for since the beginning of the occupation. We decided not to ask the public to come, because social distancing is important to keep everyone in our community safe. But it's also important to keep Palestine on people's minds. Especially when you consider the fact that the blockade and occupation of Palestine is going to spell disaster for efforts there to defeat this virus.”

Rowan continued, “We need to be thinking about Palestine because the occupation has already devastated their healthcare system. And the U.S. plays a huge role in Israel's treatment of Palestinians in their own land. People are starting to point out the ways the virus is shedding light on the inequalities of our society. We want people who are staying home and dealing with the stress of that to remember what our country is doing to everyday people in Palestine and other parts of the world. There's also the economic piece of it, which is that the U.S. sends over $3 million every single day to Israel to help them maintain the illegal occupation. That is money we don't have; being spent on something we don't want. People should know that instead of ventilators and protective gear, this is what our tax dollars are being spent on. I don't know about you, but I want U.S. tax dollars spent here at home. And I want Palestinians to be able to help themselves to get the care they will need as this virus continues to gain traction in the region.”

The MN AWC encourages all their supporters to call their senators this week to speak out in support of Palestine and against U.S. aid to Israel and against the Israeli blockade of Palestine.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #OppressedNationalities #Palestine #MiddleEast #Healthcare #PeoplesStruggles #PalestinianLandDay #MNAntiWarCommittee #COVID19

Columbia Heights, MN – On May 23, 45 people gathered with banners and signs at the intersection of 43rd and Central in Columbia Heights to show solidarity with Gaza. Hundreds of cars honked their support as they drove by.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reports that Israeli soldiers have killed 112 Palestinians, and injured 13,190 since the Great Return March protests started on March 30, Palestinian Land Day.

Shauna Armstrong stated that this was her first Palestine protest. She said, “I’m part Native American so I kind understand their point of view. I came because I was just interested in participating to learn more about Palestine.”

#ColumbiaHeightsMN #Palestine #PalestinianLandDay #MiddleEast

March 30, 2018 marks 42 years since the martyrdom of 6 Palestinians by Israeli forces during a general strike to protest against the approval of continued land theft by Zionist settlers. These martyrs were among thousands of Palestinian protesters and strikers across all of historic Palestine, from the 1948 lands under Israeli occupation to the West Bank and Gaza, who bravely rose up against Israel’s expropriation of 2,000 hectares of privately owned Palestinian land. This wasn’t an isolated occurrence, but rather gives insight into the historical relationship between Israeli society and Palestinian society, of colonizer and indigenous, of oppressor and oppressed. This massacre gave birth to Land Day, and its annual commemoration since is a crucial and defining aspect of Palestinian resistance, resilience, and collective memory.

Today Palestinians in Gaza embark upon the Great Return March, a 46-day tent-city protest held at the israeli-Gaza border, with the goal of bringing attention to the internationally-recognized right of return; that is that all Palestinians, whether internally displaced or in external diaspora have a political right to return to their homes and that they have the right to seek to achieve this. This peaceful act of resistance will continue throughout the entirety of April, following into May and ending on the 70th annual commemoration of al-Nakba on May 15th. The apartheid state of Israel, as it has done since its inception, is responding with immense and inhumane force, dispatching snipers, drones, and other military tools at the border to put down a civilian-led protest. Entire families and their young and old are taking part. It is with regret, sorrow, and deep anger we issue this statement, as at least 12 Palestinians have been martyred by Zionist forces today, at a commemoration for past martyrs.

As we observe 70 years of dispossession, colonization, and ethnic cleansing on one hand, and anti-colonial resistance, courage, and love for homeland on the other, we recognize the conditions in Gaza remain dire, with some projections claiming it will be uninhabitable by the end of 2018. We recognize the inalienable right of return for all Palestinians, the illegitimacy of the settler-colonial zionist state, the resilience of the Palestinian people and their determined goal for return.

We, the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network alongside Within Our Lifetime – United for Palestine, honor and uplift the just struggle waged by the Palestinian people against their oppressors, the Zionist colonizers backed by external imperialist powers. We honor and uplift Palestinians in Gaza, our greatest heroes, who are showing the world what resistance and love for homeland look like. Through their example of resilience and strength, we are reminded that the liberation of Palestine will come within our lifetime, and we recognize the Great March of Return as yet another blow to the Zionist state.

As Palestinians continue to put their bodies directly on the line to resist Zionist violence, we emphasize our role in uplifting their actions and building for Palestine in any capacity we can wherever we are in the world. The Great March of return must be supplemented by engaging the diaspora in their right to return, as well as demanding the international community continues to condemn and isolate Israel while extending support to Palestine. Without any doubt, what is happening today is yet another massacre and it is our responsibility to raise awareness, protest, and organize for Palestine at this crucial time. The next 45 days mark a period of extreme urgency and we will act accordingly. We encourage everyone to do the same. Support local Palestine organizations in your area, follow our social media platforms for information on rallies and updates, and email us to inquire about how you can help and get involved. It is crucial to direct attention to Gaza as israel commits yet another massacre with impunity. We are watching. We are fighting.

Bil rouh! Bil dam! Nafdeek ya Falasteen!

#JacksonvilleFL #Palestine #JacksonvillePalestineSolidarityNetwork #PalestinianLandDay #MiddleEast

New York, NY – Around 50 protesters gathered in Washington Square Park, March 30, to respond to the killing of at least 17 Palestinians killed and many others wounded by Israeli forces on that day. The massacre took place during the Great March of Return in Gaza – a protest that is projected to last 45 days, leading up to Nakba Day, May 15.

March 30 is Land Day, which is set aside is a day for commemorating Palestinians’ right to their land and to resist Israeli occupation.

At the New York protest, the crowd chanted “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crimes!” and read out the names of the various martyrs who were murdered by Israeli forces.

Within Our Lifetime-United for Palestine (WOL) called the protest. They read their statement of solidarity to the crowd, “The next 45 days mark a period of extreme urgency and we will act accordingly. We encourage everyone to do the same. Support local Palestine organizations in your area, follow our social media platforms for information on rallies and updates, and email us to inquire about how you can help and get involved. It is crucial to direct attention to Gaza as Israel commits yet another massacre with impunity. We are watching. We are fighting.”

Within Our Lifetime and other organizations will continue to organize and are holding a Nakba Day rally in Times Square on Friday, May 18, in honor of 70 years of resistance to Israeli occupation. To keep updated on this action, follow the event page here.

#NewYorkNY #Palestine #PalestinianLandDay #MiddleEast

St. Paul, MN – A crowd of 75 people protested at the busy intersection of Summit and Snelling Avenues in Saint Paul on Palestinian Land Day, March 30. The protest was called by the Minnesota Anti-War Committee and Women Against Military Madness to highlight the imprisonment of Ahed Tamimi, among other child prisoners, but news of events in Palestine on the day was on the forefront of everyone’s minds.

On Land Day in Gaza, tens of thousands of people began a six-week tent city protest to demand the right of return for all Palestinians. The Israeli military responded with snipers and tear gas canisters dropped by drones. At least 16 people died and more than 1400 people were injured.

Rhea Smykalski, a member of the Anti-War Committee, explained the significance of Land Day, “As we all know, today is Land Day. In 1976, over 40 years ago, Palestinians organized a protest in response to the Israeli government confiscating more land to expand Jewish settlements. That day, the Israel Defense Force killed six young Palestinians. Today we commemorate their memory and continue to protest the Israeli government’s seizure of Palestinian land. On this historic day we protest with Palestinians across the world for the right to return and for freedom for their homeland.”

Smykalski continued, “And the U.S. is funding all of this. The U.S gives Israel $3.8 billion every year. It is our responsibility to demand that the U.S. stops funding this occupation. Those tax dollars should be spent on U.S. problems like providing safe water in Flint, Michigan and providing electricity and aid to Puerto Rico, but are instead being used to brutalize Palestinians in their own homes.”

Erika Levy, from Jewish Voices for Peace, also addressed the crowd about the situation of child prisoners, “Since 2000, 12,000 Palestinian children have been arrested. These children are tried by a military court. Currently, 17-year-old Ahed Tamimi has been sentenced to eight months in prison after being held for three months in a military prison. Of course, the Israeli government claims Ahed is a ‘terrorist’ – the same government that raided her home, injured her family members and, the day she was arrested, shot her cousin in the face. Ahed, we know who the real terrorists are. We stand with you, your family, and all Palestinians detained in military prisons and living under Israeli oppression.”

The Middle East Committee of Women Against Military Madness holds a vigil weekly at Summit and Snelling Avenues in Saint Paul every Friday at 4:30 p.m. to raise awareness about the situation in Palestine and to challenge U.S. support for Israel.

#SaintPaulMN #Palestine #PalestinianLandDay #MiddleEast

This Land Day will again see Palestinians across the world protest for the right to return and for freedom for their homeland. This year the world's attention to the plight of Palestinians has been heightened because of the international movement in solidarity with Ahed Tamimi.

Meredith Aby from the Anti-War Committee explained, “Over 12,000 Palestinian children have been arrested since 2000! No child should be thrown into a military prison without a fair trial, denied access to parents or lawyers, and be subjected to abuse. Join with us on Land Day to say Free Palestine and Free Ahed Tamimi!”

On Dec. 19, 2017, 16-year-old Ahed Tamimi was arrested by Israeli occupation troops when they raided her house in the middle of the night. She was arrested for slapping an IDF soldier while attempting to defend herself, her family and her country. This month she accepted a plea bargain and she should be released in July. She was fined about $1400 and given a three-year suspended sentence.

Kent Mori, also a member of the Anti-War Committee reacted to Tamimi’s recent sentence, “Ahed Tamimi's sentence really exposes Israel's apartheid system of justice, one justice system for the occupiers, and another for the Palestinians. An Israeli soldier attempts to murder her cousin Muhammad Tamimi, and Ahed reacts with a slap, for which she'll now be imprisoned for eight months. Compare Ahed's treatment, after her righteous and brave instinct, to the treatment of the Israeli soldier who was videotaped murdering a defenseless Palestinian, or to the arsonist settlers who burned a Palestinian baby, Ali Dawabsha, alive.”

The Middle East Committee of Women Against Military Madness holds a weekly vigil at Summit and Snelling every Friday to raise awareness about the situation in Palestine and to challenge U.S. support for Israel.

#StPaulMN #AntiwarMovement #Palestine #PeoplesStruggles #Minnesota #PalestinianLandDay #MiddleEast