Tucson stands with Palestine on 78th anniversary of Al-Nakba
Tucson, AZ – Some 40 Tucsonans gathered at a busy downtown intersection on May 15 to commemorate the 78th anniversary of Al-Nakba. Protesters waved Palestinian flags and held up signs that read “End U.S. aid to Israel” and “Money for human needs. Not war!” Vehicles, including a city bus driver, honked their horns in support. Pedestrians, including college graduates in their gowns, joined the protest as the crowd chanted “Free, free Palestine!”
“May 15 marks the day when Zionist militias destroyed hundreds of villages, massacred thousands, and violently forced 750,000 Palestinians out of their homes and off of their historic land in order to create the state of Israel. Since 2023, the U.S. has sent over $25 billion in aid to Israel and has outfitted the Israeli military with its advanced weaponry. It is a fact that Israel wouldn’t be able to carry out these crimes of massive scale without the backing of the U.S. empire,” said Tucson Anti-War Committee member Nick Winsten when speaking to the crowd.
“That’s our tax dollars, that’s mine and yours, used for the depraved war crimes of the U.S. and Israel. That’s our hard earned money used for the razing of homes, the bombing of schools and hospitals, and the killing of countless families. That’s money not going to health care, education, housing, or any real human need but that has gone to murdering over 70,000 Palestinians,” Winsten added.
Organizers from Arizona-Palestine Solidarity Alliance and Jewish Voice for Peace also spoke to the crowd. Other co-sponsoring organizations of the event were Coalicion de Derechos Humanos, Veterans for Peace, Common Defense, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization-Tucson.