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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Organizers Claim Largest Showing of Solidarity with Palestinians in US History |
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by Andrew Kennis (w/ contributions by Zoe Mitche
Email: Andrew (nospam) indymedia.org (unverified!)
Phone: (202) 483-3700
Address: D.C. Independent Media Center - 2329 Champlain Street, Washington D.C. |
20 Apr 2002
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The largest showing of solidarity with Palestinians in U.S. history was the proclamation made today by the organizers for demonstrations in the nation's capital. The demonstrations actually covered an array of issues but focused more on the war like conditions in Palestine than anything else. The demonstrators themselves came from an impressive array of diverse backgrounds from all over the country. |
Today in Washington D.C., organizers of today's demonstration claimed the largest showing of solidarity with Palestinians in U.S. history
At least 75,000 people marched and rallied in downtown Washington D.C. today over a number of issues, chiefly amongst them being opposition to the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Other themes included voicing dissent against the "war at home and abroad," a reference to the war in Afghanistan and in Colombia, as well as problems with racism and discrimination against people of color (especially those of Arabic origin), and also to corporate globalization.
All three major themes were addressed in their own respective "feeder marches" in the morning, which joined together later in the afternoon at the "Mall," the grassy park area between the Capital building, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.
Quite clearly, however, it was the war like conditions in the occupied territories of Palestine that captured the attention of the day and the protest was dubbed by organizers as the largest U.S showing of solidarity with Palestinians in U.S. history.
"I have been living in the U.S. for 25 years and I pay taxes, and I don't expect my money to go to killing my people," explained Fatina, a Palestinian mother of four who brought her colorfully dressed children in traditional Palestinian garb along with her to today's protest.
Sentiments such as Fatina's were commonly shared by protesters from an impressive array of differing backgrounds, as Hajie Tunkara from the West African country of Gambia said "we want our tax dollars to be used wisely and instead, the U.S. is using our money to butcher Muslims in Palestine. Look at Jenin," a reference to the refugee camp recently bulldozed and pillaged by the Israeli Defense Forces, resulting in dozens and maybe even hundreds of civilian Palestinian deaths (23 Israeli soldiers were also killed). Tunkara is Muslim, but many others were not. One of the most distinguishable characteristics of the protest was its diversity.
In addition to the diversity of the marches, the sheer numbers of protesters was striking. While police put march estimates at around 75,000 people, organizers claimed that hundreds of thousands of protesters showed up in solidarity with the struggle against Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine's territories.
Indeed, groups from all over the country bussed themselves in overnight, tying up traffic and leading to situations described by Steve Gillis, 43, a steelworker from Boston. Gillis told the Washington Post that he "saw hundreds of buses on the road. The rest stops were jammed all the way down."
Amongst such groups that were jamming the highways, included "Women in Black for Peace and Justice" and the MIT based "Nerds against the War."
In addition to the Palestinian solidarity demonstration, organized by the Committee in Solidarity with the People of Palestine, there was also two other "feeder marches" that joined up later in the afternoon at the mall. One of them was organized by the Mobilization for Global Justice (MGJ), which stopped in front of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund headquarters. Therein, Rob Weissman from Essential, one of the groups founded by Ralph Nader, pointed out that as a result of the anti-corporate-globalization movement, the World Bank ended all "user fees" for education (or charges brought about by structural adjustment programs).
Local activists at the MGJ march also made connections from local struggles to international ones. Vanessa Dixon, one such local activist, charged that D.C. Mayor Williams supports privatization and public de-investment in community programs (such as public hospitals, as recently, a controversial local fight to save a public hospital from shutdown was lost).
In the other "feeder" march, the National Youth and Student Coalition formed by Student Peace Action Network and the International ANSWER coalition organized the "A20 Mobilization to Stop the War at Home and Abroad." Therein, protesters voiced their opposition to the supposed "war against terror" and "drugs," which they saw as more of a means to maintain U.S. economic and military power in tact around the world, "stabilizing" situations that might be beyond their control to protect U.S. business interests.
Demonstrators criticized that such military adventures resulted in human rights abuses roundly condemned by international human rights groups. Indeed, in the case of Colombia, at least, a significant amount of documented criticism has been lobbied against the supposed "war against drugs" in the turbulent mountainous Andean country in South America.
Despite the presence of the two feeder marches, however, it was concern for the worsening conditions in Palestine that dominated the day's theme. "I want to see equality for the Palestinians," stated simply Cathy Bentwood, the mother of a 14 year-old son who accompanied her to the protest all the way from New Hampshire. Indeed, many others apparently wanted the same thing, as the strongest showing of solidarity for Palestinians, and perhaps any other group of people abroad was displayed today in the capital of the most powerful nation in the world.
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