Thousands flood New York City streets for Palestine

New York City

On Labor Day, Sept. 2, day 331 of Israel’s genocide, thousands of people gathered at Union Square in New York City in an outpouring of rage against the U.S.-backed massacres of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. 

Chanting: “Resistance is justified when people are occupied”, “There is only one solution, Intifada revolution” and “From the River to the Sea, Palestine is almost Free,” they expressed support for the Palestinian people as the U.S. government, police, social media sites and university administrations are taking actions to suppress protests against the genocide.

Neerden Kiswani, a Palestinian activist and founder of Within Our Lifetime (WOL), one of the main organizers of the event, described Israel’s horrific brutality. “They systematically kill babies and leave them to decompose on hospital beds. They have institutionalized torture and sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners.”

She added, “They deprive people of food, medical supplies, electricity and fuel, and enable famine and sickness as part of their genocidal agenda.’ 

Kiswani noted that more than 10,000 Palestinian women and children are illegally detained in Israeli prisons right now and that just a few days ago, occupation forces launched a ground invasion against a refugee camp in the West Bank, killing and injuring hundreds of people. “This has been our reality for over 76 years,” Kiswani said. “It is our responsibility to put an end to the genocidal state.”

People flooded the New York streets with a march of more than 50 blocks that ended in Washington Square Park. Following the protest, WOL and Healthcare Workers for Palestine held a fundraiser for Palestine to help raise funds for Doctors Against Genocide. 

Eventbrite took down a notice about the fundraiser. Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, shut down the Instagram account of WOL in early February.  In early July, Meta also shut down the Instagram account of the Samidoun Palestinian Political Prisoner Network, and in the last week shut down the accounts for Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, and NYU’s People’s Solidarity Coalition. 

Despite Meta’s attempts to destroy the ability of these groups to organize support for Palestine and to expose the U.S. role in the genocide, they continue to find alternative means to build this solidarity movement with Palestine that brings thousands into the streets since Oct. 7.