Milwaukee commemorates Palestine’s Land Day with a car caravan

Milwaukee, WI – On Saturday, March 29, 30 vehicles took to the streets in a car caravan to commemorate Land Day. Land Day, held on March 30 every year, recognizes the day in 1976 when Palestinians took to the streets to protest Israel’s theft of their land. Six Palestinians were killed and over 100 injured by Israeli forces.

This year’s local event, led by the Milwaukee Anti-war Committee, began with a rally as participants finished up decorating their cars with signs, car paint and Palestinian flags. Vehicles had car toppers and posters – reading, “Free free Palestine,” “Palestinians will return” and “Stop the genocide” – jutting out of windows.

Emily Harris of the Milwaukee Anti-war Committee spoke first. “Commemorating Land Day means gathering together and reaffirming the love and ownership Palestinians have for their land. We must continue to demand their right to return, and in the U.S., we must denounce the forced deportation of those who stand alongside Palestine!” said Harris, to cheers from the crowd.

The event had four key demands; “End the genocide now! Trump – hands off Gaza! Demand the right to return! And free Mahmoud Khalil!” Speakers touched on various aspects of these demands, bringing it all back to the central goal of Palestinian liberation.

Yaseen Najeeb from Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine remarked, “How can you claim to be indigenous to the land of olives when the majority of your population is allergic to olive oil?”

Blake Jones from Freedom Road Socialist Organization pointed out, “Our struggles are connected, from the picket lines here to the streets of Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, Sudan, the Congo and across Latin America. The same system that bombs Gaza represses oppressed nationalities and working-class communities here.”

The emcee for the event, Kayla Kuo from the Milwaukee Anti-war Committee, read out a statement provided by Milwaukee 4 Yemen that highlighted the recent attacks on Yemen and relating it to the Palestinian struggle.

“The world cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the tragedy unfolding in Yemen and Palestine, where the innocent pay the price for political agendas and military interests. The people of Yemen refuse to be forgotten. Their resilience in the face of relentless aggression is a testament to their strength, but resilience alone cannot stop bombs from falling or children from starving. It is up to us – to those who refuse to be complicit in silence—to amplify their voices, demand an end to U.S. complicity, and push for accountability.”

After speeches, the cars left the lot for the caravan in the streets. They took to a slow crawl, catching the eyes of other cars and passersby alike, with many cars honking and people showing their support with thumbs up and waves.

After the car rally, the crowd met back at the starting location. Kuo closed the event stating, “Both the Biden and the Trump administration have prevented Palestinians from returning to Palestine. At the same time, that the Trump administration is deporting anyone that quote ‘poses a threat to national security and U.S. foreign interests’ as we’ve seen with pro-Palestinian students and Venezuelan immigrants. The real threat to the U.S. empire is liberation and people power!”

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