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.

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