Grand Rapids, MI – On October 7, roughly 80 people in more than 25 cars drove from Grand Rapids, Michigan to protest at Woodward Zeeland, an engineering firm with locations worldwide which has been connected to the genocide in Gaza.
After the U.S.-funded attacks on Lebanon and Palestine, and the escalation of the genocide, organizers led by Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR) launched a campaign targeting local war-profiteers that culminated in the rally and die-in outside of Woodward Zeeland.
Atlanta, GA – The assassination of Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah, in an apocalyptic Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on September 28, has shaken Lebanon and the entire Middle East. For the forces of liberation, Nasrallah was a mighty resistance leader, a voice of the oppressed, and a tireless fighter for the liberation of Palestine. His death marks a deeply tragic moment in the struggle against Zionism and imperialism, but the legacy he built, one grounded in solidarity and liberation theology, will continue to inspire the masses of people who remain committed to his vision of a free and sovereign Arab world.
Los Angeles, CA – Tens of thousands of passionate protesters hit the streets of downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, October 5, just days before the one year anniversary of the U.S.-funded Israeli genocide in Palestine that began October 7, 2023 after Palestinian resistance fighters launched an counter-offensive against the Zionist government.
Salt Lake City, UT – On October 3, 50 students and community members gathered on the campus of the University of Utah to demand an end to the school’s study abroad program with the University of Haifa, an Israeli military college that practices discrimination against its Arab and Muslim students. Organizers also called for the University of Utah’s full divestment from companies involved in the Israeli genocide in Gaza, reinvestment in student resources, and for the University of Utah to respect students’ right to protest for Palestine.
The rally also celebrated the Palestinian resistance. Chris Loera-Peña of Mecha de U of U said, “It’s been a year of genocide, but also a year of non-stop resistance and fighting from the Palestinian people and the entire world.”
New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, October 5, a broad coalition of community organizations rallied at Congo Square for a march to commemorate one year of resistance since the genocide in Gaza began. The action drew a large crowd of about 500 people, whose chants for a free Palestine ricocheted off city walls downtown.
During the rally, speakers emphasized the steadfast endurance of the Palestinian resistance.
“Our people in the homeland inspire us every single day here [in the US] to continue to resist – to stay strong and not give up. Our people endure and that’s what it means to be Palestinian,” said Leila Abu-Orf, a member of the New Orleans chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement.
Minneapolis, MN – On October 6, over 4000 protesters gathered in downtown Minneapolis on to mark one year of protest and resistance to Israel’s U.S. funded genocide in occupied Palestine. The Free Palestine Coalition started the march with a rally at the Gateway Park Fountain on the corner of Hennepin and Washington Avenues. Protesters marched through downtown and the North Loop neighborhood, proudly displaying support for Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iran, Iraq and all people caught in the crosshairs of Israel’s terror campaign.
Hace casi un año, el 7 de octubre, el sonido de la libertad retumbó en Palestina y sus ecos todavía se escuchan en todo el mundo. La resistencia palestina lanzó la Operación Inundación de Al Aqsa, una fuga masiva de la prisión al aire libre más grande del mundo, Gaza. Y, al hacerlo, dieron un paso histórico hacia la liberación. Karl Marx dijo una vez que esos momentos de revolución, de personas que toman su propio futuro en sus manos, deberían considerarse como “fiestas de los oprimidos”. Tenía toda la razón en eso.
Jacksonville, FL – On Saturday, October 5, around 150 protesters congregated outside of Jacksonville’s port authority (Jaxport), as part of the Palestinian Youth Movement’s International Day of Action, to demand that the port cut all ties with Maersk, one of the world’s largest shipping and logistics companies. Jaxport has had a contract with the shipping behemoth since 2015.
Dallas, TX – A coalition led by the Palestinian Youth Movement met at Dallas’ own Grassy Knoll, October 5 to observe a year of resistance against escalated genocide and expanding occupation at the hands of the Israeli state.
Nearly one year ago, on October 7, the sound of freedom thundered across Palestine, and its echoes are still being heard around the world. The Palestinian resistance launched Operation Al Aqsa Flood, a mass breakout from the world’s largest open air prison, Gaza. And, in doing so, they took a historic step towards liberation. Karl Marx once said that such moments of revolution, of people taking their own futures in their hands should be regarded as “festivals of the oppressed.” He was entirely right about that.
