Hundreds gathered in front of the Federal Building in San Francisco on July 1 to show solidarity with the Palestinian people as families in the Silwan and Sheik Jarrah neighborhoods of Jerusalem are facing expulsion from their homes at the hands of the Israeli settler-colonial occupation.
Jewish Voice for Peace, Arab Resource and Organizing Center, Students for Justice in Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement, Al-Awda, U.S. Palestinian Community Network, American Muslims for Palestine, and the ANSWER Coalition came together to put on the event in the face of Israeli occupation forces threatening the demolition of Palestinian stores and homes in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem, which began earlier this week.
The rally called attention to the U.S. funding that makes ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Jerusalem and across occupied Palestine possible, and demanded that leading Democratic politicians Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer stop enabling Israeli state-backed terror. A common chant at the rally put it simply: “Pelosi, Pelosi you can’t hide. You are funding genocide!”
Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday that: “Israeli forces accompanied by bulldozers entered the Palestinian neighbourhood and destroyed a butcher’s shop in Silwan. Soldiers used tear gas and batons to push back residents and Palestinian activists as they carried out the demolition.” At least four Palestinians were injured in the assault.
Liberation News reported last month on the historical context of the Israeli push to ethnically cleanse East Jerusalem:
“Starting in the 1980s, Israel has sought to manipulate the demographics of East Jerusalem in their favor by moving in Zionist settlers to displace Palestinian residents. Currently around 200,000 settlers reside in East Jerusalem, many in heavily protected compounds, and 86 percent of the area is under direct control of the Israeli authorities or occupied by settlers. This has been an ongoing effort on the part of Israel to “Judaize” (in the language of the settlers) the city, uniting East and West Jerusalem, which would preclude the possibility of a future Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
Monadel, a USPCN Bay Area member, directly addressed Nancy Pelosi: “We are here in front of your office Nancy Pelosi, and the Nakba has not stopped! It has killed and displaced Palestinians including my family … and you are complicit in this. You are responsible for this. Don’t tell us about human rights, while the people are out here in the streets!” Before ending the speech with a chant of “Long live Palestine,” Monadel stressed the importance of taking the streets to fight back against fascism and Zionism.
The labor movement showed up as well, with a representative from the University Professional and Technical Employees and United Educators of San Francisco connecting the workers’ struggle to the Palestinian struggle and calling on rally attendees to get involved in their unions and stand up for justice everywhere.
Frank Lara, the Executive Vice President of UESF and an ANSWER organizer, underlined the importance of solidarity with Palestine within the labor movement. Earlier this year, UESF became the first K-12 educators union in the country to pass a resolution supporting the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement in solidarity with Palestine. Lara said that because of this, “[UESF] will be a target. But just as Palestinians have no choice but to resist, we can’t sell out our values!” He urged all those present who are members of unions to bring up the resolution currently under consideration in the San Francisco Labor Council and organize their unions to support it.
Closing his remarks, Frank Lara urged those present to continue to stand in solidarity: “Do not focus on what’s preventing you from fighting for justice. Be like the Palestinians who know that they have to fight!”
Organizers of the rally ask supporters to call the offices of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to demand they stop funding Israeli terror. Scripts and information on how to call can be found on the Jewish Voice for Peace site here.
