On Thursday, July 17, about 70 people rallied against Israel’s genocide in Gaza, protesting at the Capitol in the largest rally since Dream Defenders demos against Stand Your Ground.
Rola Darwish, whose family lives in the West Bank and who knows many families in Gaza, spoke about the causes of the conflict. “Zionism is more of a political mindset that feels that Israel has to exist for the Jewish people,” she said, “but what about the Palestinians that are there? Are we supposed to just go and die because they want the land? And they keep building more and more settlements and they say ‘peace talks.’ That’s not peace talks. Peace talks, you stop building settlements on land that’s not yours and then you talk.”
Rola’s son, Easa Darwish, told Liberation News about his month-long trip to Palestine, where IDF attacked him and four friends with tear gas as they walked down the street. “I got to see in real life how their condition is, and how it’s not livable, how they don’t have water some days. It’s a blessing to be in America compared to what they have, they’re really neglected… It’s land under occupation. You’re not allowed to go outside at a certain time, when you’re under curfew.”
“Israel doesn’t want peace,” he said. “If they wanted peace, they would open the Gaza borders up, they would let medical aid in, they would let all the countries actually supply Gaza with supplies that are essential to life. It’s the seventh day without having water in the Gaza strip, while they’re being bombed and while they’re fasting right now. Hamas wouldn’t be doing this if their human rights were met.”
Delance Burnside of FSU Dream Defenders connected the struggles of Black youth and Palestinians. “For there really to be justice of any kind in this country, all peoples, regardless of cultural background, all peoples who are being oppressed need to collectively fight oppression. We’re going to need each other’s voices if we’re going to make a dent.”
Talking about the media and U.S. intervention overseas, Delance said: “It’s always supposed to be for some humanitarian or moral cause, but in reality, most times it’s economical or to spread American interests. And not American civilian interests but American government interests.”
