While a small group of pro-Israel counter protesters yelled slogans of hate and racism, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in downtown Ft. Lauderdale in front of the Federal Courthouse to condemn the massacre in Gaza and to send a message of solidarity to the Palestinian people.
The same day in cities across the country, tens of thousands of people joined marches and demonstrations in support of a free Palestine.
During the rally, a list of names of children murdered by the U.S.-backed Israeli forces in Gaza were read. Many wept, yet wiped aside their tears to chant, “We are all Palestine!”
Liberation News was on the scene and interviewed several demonstrators. Anas Amireh of South Florida told us, “We want to demand from the American government to stop Israel’s massacre of Palestinians in Gaza.”
Nabila Muhammed from Trinidad and Tobago summed up the simple truth of this ongoing atrocity, “What’s happening is a massacre, and it’s genocide, and it’s apartheid.” Nabila went on to send this message to the people of Gaza, “You are not alone, we stand with you.”
Israel could not carry out this genocidal massacre with impunity without the unfettered support of the U.S. government. While the White House adopts and proliferates the fascist narrative that the massacre of Gaza is the fault of their own democratically elected government, the Obama administration continues to send $3 billion to Israel every year. It has recently sent an additional $225 million to restock Israel’s arsenal of weapons.
These demonstrations will not end until Palestine is free. We will continue to take the streets to end U.S. aid to Israel and demand self-determination for the Palestinian people.
