On December 9 organizers and local activists rallied in San Diego’s Balboa Park to protest Trump’s announcement of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Nearly 200 supporters arrived to hear speakers address the harsh reality of Israeli rule in occupied Palestine. The crowd was diverse and represented the multinational support San Diego has for a free Palestine. Youth, draped in Palestinian flags, mingled side by side with young families, elders and clergy members. Members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation were also in attendance to show solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for self-determination. The event’s supporters vastly outnumbered any opposition, with only one counter protester halfheartedly toting an Israeli flag.
The speakers list represented a diverse quilt of organizations with liberal and religious organizations sharing the air with more radical youth organizers. Local imams, anti-Zionist Jewish leaders, and Palestinian youth recounted their experiences both in occupied Palestine and in the United States. To resounding cheers the speakers reminded the crowd that Jerusalem was not Trump’s to give away, and that the rights of Palestinians to self-determination will not be stifled by thinly veiled pandering to the most detestable of Trump supporters. After an inspiring round of opening speeches, the organizers prepared the crowd to march through the busiest portion of Balboa Park, a very popular tourist spot.
The march was jubilant and stretched from one end of the park to the other, catching the attention of thousands of tourists enjoying the park in that area. To chants of, “From the rivers to the sea, Palestine will be free!” and “Trump, keep your tiny hands off of Jerusalem!” marchers made it known that San Diego would not let this announcement go without challenge, after a thorough circuit, the march circled back to the original rallying point to hear the remaining speakers. The Palestinian Youth Movement gave a stirring speech and offered an excellent anti-capitalist/anti-imperialist analysis of Trump’s, and the U.S. war machine’s, motives in the region. The rally concluded with organizers pledging to keep in the streets to demand justice for Palestine.
