New Orleans marches in honor of 76 Years of Palestinian resistance

New Orleans, LA – On May 18, over 200 protesters gathered at the steps across from Jackson Square Park in the city’s French Quarter, joining the Nakba week of action, called by the National Anti-War Network.

Al-Nakba, which translates to “the catastrophe,” is the name given to the campaign of ethnic cleansing and genocide carried out by Israeli settlers in 1948. The name is still used to describe the continuation of that genocide up to today.

The event was organized by New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) and Palestinian Youth Movement NOLA (PYM), as PYM’s inaugural action in New Orleans.

It began with a rally at 4 p.m. Speakers talked about the importance of remembering the Nakba and the importance of uplifting the work of the Palestinian resistance. Organizers stressed the importance of continuing to struggle in the belly of the beast, agitating against and frustrating U.S. aid to Israel wherever possible.

“NOSHIP knows that without U.S. aid, Israel would not exist. Israel knows that too. When they see the masses in the streets they are threatened by us, and they feel their apartheid walls shake. What do they do? They organize. They call up the treasurer of Louisiana who has committed to investing more of our money, on top of the $30 million already invested,” said Adan Murad, organizer with NOSHIP, stressing the need to increase our own organization in response.

At around 5:30, the protesters took to the streets, marching with banners reading, “Victory to the Palestinian resistance!” “Exist! Resist! Return!” and “The Nakba is ongoing! 1948 — today.”

Disrupting traffic throughout the French Quarter and on the busy commercial Canal Street, protesters marched with Palestinian flags held high. Despite heckling from Zionist onlookers and blaring honks from cars, the crowd kept their energy and volume high. Chants of “There is only one solution – intifada, revolution!” and “Gaza, Gaza you will rise! Palestine will never die!” carried over the bustle of the streets.

As the procession rounded back to the square, they convened to continue the rally. Figures made to represent martyred Palestinian families were set out and die-in took place on the busy public square. There, other speakers emphasized the critical duty to keep organizing and pressuring targets in the city, while also tying the struggle for Palestinian liberation to struggles in the United States.

“We understand the necessity to have a movement for our people by our people in New Orleans,” said Aishah Abdallah, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement. “We must make Palestine unavoidable, and let it be known that the genocide in Gaza, at the heart of the Palestinian struggle, is a source of resistance to colonial powers everywhere,” and, “From the river to the sea, we affirm that our return is inevitable.”

The floor was then opened to the community, where Palestinian youth led chants and community members affirmed the bonds and ties between the Palestinian struggle and the struggles against imperialism across the globe. As the event came to a close, the crowd booed at a passing biplane hoisting an Israeli flag above the French Quarter. The scene was a potent metaphor. The best the Zionists can do is flash an impotent image. But the Palestinian struggle has been able to mobilize people across the world to take to the streets, make sacrifices, and face repression for the struggle for freedom.

#NewOrleansLA #NOSHIP #PYM #Palestine