Participants from the indicated cities sent in the following reports. Click here for more information and a list of protests around the country.
Austin, Texas
About 35 activists gathered in downtown Austin to express their outrage at the brutal flotilla massacre. Ranging in age from the very young to the elderly, the protesters included members of the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), the Palestine Solidarity Committee, and the Interfaith Community for Palestinian Rights, among others. They chanted almost without a break for over two hours. “One, two, three, four, we don’t want your racist war! Five, six, seven, eight, Israel is a terrorist state!” and “Free, free Palestine! Long live Palestine!” “Long live the Intifada! Intifada! Intifada!” were among the more popular chants.
Iraq war veteran Bobby Whittenberg said, “As Americans, we have no ethical decision but to engage in resistance to the U.S. and Israel’s occupations. These occupations take place with our money and our names, and we must be ever so clear that we do not consent to them and that they must stop immediately.”
As the demonstration continued, some pedestrians picked up signs and joined in the chants. At one point, a driver slowed traffic as he stopped, blew his horn for several seconds and gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up to the demonstrators.
Boston
An estimated 300 people came out for an emergency protest against the Israeli assault on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. The action started at Park St. train station in downtown Boston and turned into a march to the City Hall area and back. When passing through the Faneuil Hall area, hundreds of tourists looked on as an energized crowd chanted “Free, Free Palestine!,” “Gaza, Gaza, don’t you cry, Palestine will never die!” and the popular “Resistance is justified, when people are occupied!” Several mock coffins draped with Palestinian flags were carried during the march.
ANSWER organizers and Party for Socialism and Liberation members participated in the action and handed out hundreds of leaflets with 10 facts on the attack, the three-year Israeli blockade of Gaza and U.S. financial and political support for the continued occupation of Palestine.
Future actions in the Boston area are being planned for the coming days as the hundreds in attendance made it clear they are committed to a week full of action.
Chicago
 2,000 march in Chicago, June 1 Photo: John Beacham |
On June 1, over 2,000 people came out in Chicago to denounce the Israeli massacre on the lead ship of the flotilla of humanitarian aid vessels. Waving a sea of Palestinian flags, people came out from all communities to link arms with their Palestinian sisters and brothers.
Dozens of groups endorsed and mobilized for the action, including the ANSWER Coalition. The American Muslims for Palestine and the Free Gaza Movement sponsored the emergency demonstration.
Protesters closed down the street in front of the Israeli consulate and formed a massive picket line. Strong and united chants of “End the siege on Gaza now!” and “Who is the terrorist? Israel is the terrorist!” thundered through the crowd.
Many young people came out for the protest. Faoud, a Palestinian youth who was at his first protest said, “This is great. It’s so important to protest this crime and stand with Palestine. I saw the notice for the protest and had to get involved.”
Los Angeles
 Los Angeles protest, May 31 Photo: Benthany Malmgren |
In response to a call by Al-Awda, the ANSWER Coalition, Free Palestine Alliance and others, over 600 people gathered at the Israeli consulate May 31 to denounce Israel’s blatant act of piracy and U.S. funding of Israeli apartheid. Palestinian youth chanted: “Palestine will be free! End Israeli piracy!” and “End the siege on Gaza now!” Protesters took over all four corners of the busy intersection on Wilshire Boulevard. PSL member Corazon Esguerra spoke at the rally, among others.
Miami
Some 120 people gathered in front of the Israeli consulate to protest. Participants in the protest, called by the ANSWER Coalition, waved Palestinian flags and carried signs. Chants included “Free, free Palestine,” “Long live Palestine” and “Viva Palestina.”
“We hold the Obama administration responsible for the massacre of the flotilla activists, as the U.S. continues to send 15 million dollars a day in aid to Israel and support the devastating blockade of the people of Gaza,” said Emmanuel Lopez from ANSWER during the rally.
The Israeli consulate issued a statement as a result of our demonstration, making the absurd claim that the Freedom Flotilla had ties with Al-Qaeda, and that under the guise of sending humanitarian aid, it was designed to incite violence.
The Miami Herald and CBS 4 reported on the protest.
New Haven, Conn.
Two demonstrations were held. The first started at noon in front of Union Station. Demonstrators shouted, “Free, Free Palestine” and carried signs supporting the Right of Return for Palestinians. The demonstration ended as activists boarded the train for a mass demonstration in New York.
At 3 p.m., almost 50 people gathered in front of the federal court house demanding that the Obama administration end its continued support and funding of Israel’s weaponry. They condemned Israel for its murderous and illegal attacks on ships bringing aid to the strangled Gaza Strip. They chanted, “End the blockade, send Gaza aid” and “Occupation is a crime, from Iraq to Palestine.”
The demonstration was organized by the Middle East Crisis Committee, ANSWER-CT, New Haven Peace Council, Party for Socialism and Liberation and other local activists.
New York City
On May 31, approximately 2,000 New Yorkers descended on Times Square to demand an end to the illegal blockade of Gaza by the Israeli government. The diverse crowd marched from Times Square to the Israeli Consulate. The previous night’s murders of international humanitarians on the high seas was the driving force behind the anger all in attendance felt. The march, which included members of the ANSWER Coalition, could be heard from up to several avenues away, as demonstrators chanted “Viva viva Palestina! Lucha lucha Palestina!”
Tempe, Ariz.
 Tempe, Ariz., protest, June 1 Photo: Carlos Alvarez |
On June 1, the Answer Coalition and member group Party for Socialism and Liberation joined several groups including Students for Justice in Palestine-Arizona State University and the Coalition of Arabs and Muslims in America-Arizona chapter for a protest against the Israeli attack on the aid flotilla. About 100 people came out to protest on the busy intersection of University Drive and Mill Avenue.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanted “Free Palestine, end the siege of Gaza now!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” George Galloway, pro-Palestinian British politician and activist, addressed the crowd before heading over to a speaking engagement at Arizona State University. Many passersby responded positively; others walked by espousing anti-Palestinian racism. One shouted at the overwhelmingly Arab crowd screaming, “You’re in the wrong desert.” Despite the vitriolic racism of a few, the sentiment in the crowd was to resist Zionism and U.S. imperialism.
San Francisco
For the last two days pro-Palestinian crowds have gathered in San Francisco’s downtown area to show their condemnation of the Israeli attack on the flotilla of aid to Gaza early Monday morning. An emergency demonstration was held Monday afternoon at Powell and Market Streets. Some 350 people chanted “Free Free Palestine!” and “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free!” Sentiments for prosecuting the Israeli government for its ongoing war crimes and for boycotting Israeli products were widespread in the crowd.
St. Louis, Mo.
On June 1, 54 people gathered outside Sen. McCaskill’s office to demand that the U.S. Senate condemn the actions taken by the Israeli military in the killing of 19 humanitarians trying to bring simple aid items to the blockaded people of Gaza.
The protest was peaceful, even after people carrying Israeli flags crossed over from their counter-protest to try and block out pro-Palestinian signs. The protesters, who were mainly Palestinians and social rights activists, shouted slogans such as: “End the illegal settlements,” “Zionism=terrorism” and “End the illegal blockade.” When the counter-protesters yelled reactionary chants like “terrorists go home,” they were met with louder yells of “Stop killing civilians” and “Two people, one state.”
The pro-Palestinian protesters outnumbered the pro-Zionists two to one. The protest was mainly organized by the Palestinian Solidarity Network of St. Louis. Other notable groups in attendance were Instead Of War and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Washington, D.C.
Three demonstrations took place in the course of two days in Washington, D.C., each involving hundreds of people, including many from the Arab American and Muslim community, students, families, community organizers and many others.
On May 31, activists first took to the streets in front of the Israeli Embassy. A strong picket line chanted, “Shut down the embassy; stop Israeli piracy.” After a spirited protest, everyone dispersed and reconvened at the White House for a continuing rally that pointed to the complicity of the Obama administration in Israel’s crimes. Then on June 1, a lunchtime rally took place at the White House. Groups involved have included the ANSWER Coalition, Muslim American Society Freedom, Code Pink, DC Metro BDS and others. Protests are planned to continue throughout the week.
Carlos Alvarez, Deb Malatesta, Dustin Slagle, Jennifer Zaldana, John Beacham, John Peter Daly, Meghann Adams, Nila Smith, Patrick Moore, and Sarah Sloan contributed to this round-up.
