The death toll in Gaza continues to mount, and, with full U.S. backing, Israeli is declaring much of Gaza – one of the most densely populated and impoverished areas of this planet – a “closed military zone”. Much needed protests against the Israeli assault upon Gaza have begun to take place throughout the world, including in this country. More are scheduled over the next several days. In these dangerous days, it is vital to retain moral clarity, and to act upon it. The following brief report is an initial account of a demonstration in Houston yesterday – more are to follow.
500 – 600 people gathered in the Galleria shopping area of Houston to protest the genocidal attacks on Gaza. This was the largest rally in defense of the Palestinian people in Houston in recent memory, and part of a world-wide mobilization to stop the Israeli attacks on Gaza.
The protest was spirited and defiant. Chants like “Free, Free, Palestine, Occupation is a Crime” rang throughout the district. Many people waved the Palestinian flag, many wore Kefiyehs. Women were particularly outspoken, and leading many of the chants. People spoke bitterness about how Israel can carry out its murderous strangulation of Gaza, it’s constant attacks, and the Palestinians are always blamed — and how the media never tells the truth. One woman had a home made drawing she had done, depicting Ann Frank, a young victim of Nazi atrocities against European Jews, wearing a kafiyeh.
There is a lot of outrage that has been expressed by Palestinians and other Arab and Muslim people about Obama’s support for Israel, although many people held lingering hope that somehow he would deal with this issue more fairly than other US presidents.
Participants in the march were overwhelmingly Arabic and Palestinian, but revolutionaries and anti-war activists from the U.S. were greeted with a great deal of enthusiasm for their stand in support of Palestine, and against the US wars of aggression. One woman volunteered to hold a sign the local Revolution Club made denouncing the Israeli “waterboarding” of Gaza, and stating, “Making Revolution in the USA would be a great gift to the world and all it’s people”
Further protests are being planned.