“Long live Palestine”: Pro-Palestine activists march in Washington against Israeli occupation
Washington (QNN)- Dozens of pro-Palestinian activists marched on Friday evening through Washington DC in protest against Israeli occupation’s recent raids and escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank and demanding the US to stop funding ‘Israel’.
Led by the Maryland-based MD 2 Palestine, around 200 pro-Palestinian activists gathered at around 5:30 pm local time on Friday in front of the Washington Monument and marched through the center of the US capital.
The activists walked through the busy downtown streets while carrying Palestinian flags and banners and chanting in support of Palestine, including “no more money for Israel’s crimes,” “free free Palestine,” and “long live Palestine.”
“No more money for Israel’s crimes”#FreePalestine Rally hits the streets demanding U.S. end it’s funding of Palestinian oppression pic.twitter.com/VRs6CIeAV3
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) October 21, 2022
Death, taxes and never seeing a single corporate media camera at a #FreePalestine protest pic.twitter.com/LMcOx5rEZ5
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) October 21, 2022
“From DC to Palestine, occupation is a crime! From Ferguson to Palestine, occupation is a crime!” the pro-Palestine activists also chanted.
“From DC to Palestine, occupation is crime! From Ferguson to Palestine, occupation is a crime!”#FreePalestine DC Rally now pic.twitter.com/POjC5PqYSP
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) October 21, 2022
“Palestinians in Jerusalem, Nablus… are calling for a General Strike to protest the sieges and escalation… of tear gas, night raids, and skunk water that is causing a massive civil disobedience in Palestine right now,” a pro-Palestine activist said.
“Palestinians in Jerusalem, Nablus… are calling for a General Strike to protest the sieges and escalation… of tear gas, night raids, and skunk water that is causing a massive civil disobedience in Palestine right now”
DC Rally to #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/F3qjfoLG7O
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) October 22, 2022
Another activist said, “They knew #ShireenAbuAkleh was a journalist and still fired on her. And the U.S. refuses to hold the Israeli state to justice for what they’ve done. The soldier is walking free and nobody cares.”
“They knew #ShireenAbuAkleh was a journalist and still fired on her. And U.S. refuses to hold the Israeli state to justice for what they’ve done. The soldier is walking free and nobody cares.”
DC #FreePalestine Rally pic.twitter.com/qlORynn0If
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) October 22, 2022
Friday evening’s march aimed to bring attention to ongoing deadly Israeli military raids in the occupied West Bank, which have escalated over the past few months and have killed over 105 Palestinians and injured hundreds of civilians this year.
“Today we’re demonstrating because there are mass amounts of civil disobedience and protests happening across occupied Palestine,” Hannah Shraim, an organizer with MD 2 Palestine, told The New Arab (TNA).
“We’re here to protest the conditions that Palestinians have been forced to endure, not only for 74 years but also recently. Israel has heightened its operations to quash Palestinian resistance. Right now, Palestinians are fighting back in mass numbers, and they are refusing to back down,” she added.
“I came out today to show solidarity and love. We’re here to hold hands and fight this together,” Omar Tawfik, an Egyptian who studies at the University of Maryland and who regularly attends Palestinian demonstrations, told TNA.
He added, “The more support we can get, especially at the government level, the better. I hope our own politicians wake up and understand what’s going on.”
This demonstration comes a day after the American Civil Liberties Union asked the US Supreme Court to review a law against boycotting Israel, which many fear could have wide-ranging free-speech implications.
It also comes as the Montgomery County Council in Maryland will soon be deciding whether or not to criticize ‘Israel’ fall under the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
The vote has been postponed several times, according to news reports. Shraim says there will be a protest in front of the Montgomery County Council building in Rockville at 9 am local time next Tuesday.
