Dallas, TX – On January 23, around 100 people showed up at Civic Garden Park in downtown Dallas to protest the continuing eviction of the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem and the continued blockade of Gaza. They also called attention to the “afforestation campaign” by the Jewish National Fund in the Al-Naqab Desert, which is intended to displace Palestinian Bedouin communities living in the region.

The protest was called by the Palestinian Youth Movement and cosponsored by Students for Justice in Palestine at University of Texas at Dallas, American Muslims for Palestine, MAS-PACE Dallas, Dallas Palestine Coalition, Malaya Texas, Dallas Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, Dallas Anti-War Committee, and the Dallas National Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression.

Protesters chanted, “There is only one solution – intifada revolution!” “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” and “Free, free, free Palestine!”

Josh Rudd of the Dallas Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines started off the speeches by denouncing Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and urging solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. He demanded an end to arm sales to the Philippines and Israel by American arms dealers such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

Nashwa Bawab of the Palestinian Youth Movement condemned Israel's demolishing of Palestinians' homes in Jerusalem and the West Bank to make way for Zionist settlers and Israeli Defense Force training camps. Bawab denounced evictions and the afforestation campaign, declaring, “We must reject Zionist attempts to greenwash the occupation, and we will continue resisting til the land is rightfully ours, and until our people get their right to freedom from the river to the sea.”

A member of Students for Justice in Palestine at University of Texas at Dallas gave a speech condemning evictions in Sheikh Jarrah, and bulldozing of Palestinian land in al-Khalil, and called for an end to U.S. support for the Israeli apartheid state. Moussa ended his speech with a chant by Black Panther Assata Shakur, an avid supporter of the Palestinian struggle: “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

#CivicGardenPark #DallasTX #AntiwarMovement #Palestine #SheikhJarrah #DallasNationalAllianceAgainstRacismAndPoliticalRepression

Minneapolis, MN – 30 people held banners and signs across three bridges on Interstate 35W during Minneapolis’ rush hour on June 9. They were out raising awareness of the consequences of U.S. aid to Israel.

Demonstrators stood in torrential rain for over an hour waving banners and holding signs and flags on the bridge. Many drivers honked, waved and flashed their brights in solidarity with Palestine.

Israel’s Supreme Court announced June 7 that they won’t stop the illegal evictions being committed by Israeli settlers in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. This means the attempts by the Israeli government to steal land and houses are likely to continue.

One driver pulled off the highway to thank the protestors for their action. He has family in Palestine. Despite the media blackout of the continued evictions, he was glad to see that Minneapolis was continuing to organize against Israeli apartheid and land theft.

“Folks are still interested in talking about Palestine, even if the media isn’t,” said Misty Rowan of the Anti-War Committee.

The protest was organized by the MN Anti-War Committee and endorsed by Women Against Military Madness and American Muslims for Palestine – MN.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #Palestine #AntiWarCommittee #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #SheikhJarrah

Dallas, Texas – On May 15, around 3000 people gathered at the Grassy Knoll in downtown Dallas to protest Israel's ethnic cleansing of Sheikh Jarrah, the violent attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the airstrikes on Gaza by Israeli apartheid forces.

Palestinian flags were flown and chants against the occupation of Palestine were heard. Some chants were “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be Free!” “Netanyahu you can't hide! We charge you with genocide!” and “Free, free, free Palestine!”

The crowd then marched around downtown Dallas before returning to the Grassy Knoll.

#DallasTX #AntiwarMovement #OppressedNationalities #Palestine #MiddleEast #PeoplesStruggles #SheikhJarrah

Chicago, IL – The Coalition for Justice in Palestine (CJP) led 25,000 marchers into the streets of Chicago’s central business area, the Loop, May 16, to demand a halt to Israeli violence and an end to the displacement of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah. The death toll from the Zionist air strikes, artillery and rubber-coated steel bullets nears 200.

The mostly youthful crowd rallied and marched for four hours.

CJP includes American Muslims for Palestine, United States Palestinian Community Network, Students for Justice in Palestine, Al-Nahda, the Palestinian American Community Center, and the Palestinian American Council.

#ChicagoIL #Palestine #MiddleEast #PeoplesStruggles #CoalitionForJusticeInPalestine #FreePalestine #SheikhJarrah

New York, NY – Over 50,000 people gathered on May 15, in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn in honor of Nakba Day. This day is to remember the violent displacement of over 700,000 Palestinians by Israel in 1948. This action also came after recent events in Sheikh Jarrah, and the airstrikes of Gaza that have killed more than 140 Palestinians. The event was organized by Within Our Lifetime.

The crowd flooded the streets and rallied before marching through the neighborhood. The Bay Ridge community is an especially symbolic area for the action due to its large Palestinian population. People came out of their apartments and joined in with the crowd’s chants of “Free, free Palestine!” “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

Even after the march, many people stuck around to continue rallying for Palestine and celebrating their resistance.

#NewYorkNY #Palestine #MiddleEast #PeoplesStruggles #SheikhJarrah #NakbaDay

The Israeli occupiers of Palestine are adding to their long list of crimes. They are attempting to drive Palestinians from the homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Jerusalem. Mobs of reactionary Zionist settlers are roaming the streets and attempting to murder Palestinian motorists. Israeli airstrikes are raining U.S.-made bombs on homes in Gaza. The death toll of Palestinians, including children, is mounting each day. The cruel and callous reality of the occupation is there for the whole world to see. The great South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela was entirely correct to identify Israeli apartheid as a “crime against humanity.”

The people of Palestine are expressing their right to resist – and progressive and revolutionaries should welcome that resistance. Brave Palestinian youth are setting the occupation’s police stations on fire. Resistance organizations are meeting repression with rockets. Protesters from Lebanon braved Israeli gunfire and crossed in the occupied territories. We must answer the call of this mass heroism with solidarity and support. Every act of resistance is a step towards liberation.

The Israeli occupation of Palestine is made possible by the U.S. financial, military and political support. The Biden administration is backing the airstrikes on Gaza, calling them a ‘proportioned response.’ Spokespeople of the U.S. State Department become tongue-tied when asked if Palestinians have a right to resist. The Biden administration follows Trump in recognizing the illegal annexation of Golan and Jerusalem as the capital of the Zionist state. Following in the footsteps of past administrations, the current one considers organizations that fight for a free Palestine, such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, as ‘terrorists.’

The U.S. supports Israel because it is a tool for empire that helps corporations loot the resources, land and labor of the Arab peoples. Washington is trying to stitch together a U.S.-dominated alliance of Israel and the reactionary Arab states, such as Saudi Arabia, to ensure U.S. domination of the region.

In the days and weeks ahead, it is vital that anti-war, progressive and revolutionary organizations go all out to support the struggle of the Palestinian people. May 15 is Al Nakba Day and major mobilizations in defense of Palestine will take place all over the world.

Every act of resistance and solidarity is a step towards liberation. Israel exists on stolen land and borrowed time – and the occupation will be defeated by whatever means the struggle dictates.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!

#UnitedStates #Palestine #MiddleEast #PeoplesStruggles #FreePalestine #SheikhJarrah

San Jose, CA – Over 400 demonstrators gathered at the Peace Corner of San Jose, May 10, and marched through Santana Row demanding an end of the occupation of Palestine. The organizers of the action responded to the pogrom in Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem, and demanded justice.

The crowd had a high concentration of Arabs, mothers and children, and a majority of the crowd was under the age of 35.

At the beginning of the action, a man attacked a Palestinian and ran into the shadows. After feelings subsided, the organizers led the march through Santana Row, which is a highly gentrified outdoor shopping center.

The protest ended with a speech calling on the people of San Jose to continue their international solidarity and linked the oppression of the Palestinians to that of Black people in the United States.

This protest is a welcome development and it highlights the consciousness the people have of the crimes against humanity committed by ‘Israel.’ People chanted “Free free Palestine,” “We support the Intifada,” and “From Palestine to Mexico, all these walls have got to go.”

The organizations participating in the protest included the Palestinian Youth Movement, BLACK Outreach, the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, and the American Muslims for Palestine.

#SanJoseCA #AntiwarMovement #Palestine #PeoplesStruggles #SheikhJarrah #MiddleEast