Around 100 anti-war demonstrators came to the State Capitol for a ceasefire rally on Sunday, May 19th. Along with calls for an end to the US-Israeli attack on Gaza, the protestors criticized three bills moving quickly through the North Carolina political system – HB 942, HB 10, and HB 237. Speakers for the rally came from the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Muslim Women For, Raleigh United for Gaza, and other groups.
WRAL interviewed Hadeel Hamoud, a member of Muslim Women For, about the purpose of Sunday’s action [x]. The quote is lightly edited for clarity.
“The Shalom Act (HB 942) will potentially thwart free speech and allow law enforcement to criminalize the pro-Palestinian movement,” said Hamoud, “The ICE bill (HB 10) will criminalize immigrants, the masking bill (HB 237) will make it illegal for us to wear masks for health and safety reasons, all of these things are seeking to undermine and inhibit the movement.”
The pro-Palestine group assembled at 3 o’clock on Wilmington Street. They formed a long line on the sidewalk, kept off the Capitol Grounds grass by a few police officers.
The rally’s organizers led a few practice chants and then led a short march down the street to the Legislative Building. On the way, people waved Palestinian flags as well as signs with messages like “Free Palestine”, “End the Occupation”, and “Say NO To Repressive Laws.”
“End the occupation now!” chanted the crowd, “And if we don’t get it, shut it down!” The rally-goers warmed to the last line and repetitively roared, “Shut it down! Shut it down!”
Ceasefire rallies have been held in Raleigh, mostly at Moore Square, every weekend for many months. The crowd knew their slogans well, often correcting chant leaders who missed a word or beat.
The marchers stopped in front of the Legislative Building and organizers made speeches about three proposed North Carolina laws that they called repressive. Women circulated in the crowd, handing out huge posters with images of murdered Gazan children.
“The Shalom Act uses the IHRA definition of antisemitism which says it may be antisemitic to call Israel a racist state,” said a speaker from the UNC Chapel Hill encampment, “But that’s just the truth. Israel is a racist state!”
A leader from Raleigh United for Gaza gave a speech, outlining the new group’s plans to raise campaign funds to protect elected officials who supported a ceasefire. To that end, the speaker asked the crowd to come to a silent auction in early June.
When the anti-war demonstrators began to march again, police on motorbikes put up their kickstands and rode off to the next intersection. The crowd marched down Salisbury Street and then Morgan Street to return to the starting place. On the way back, the chants continued.
“We will honor all our martyrs … all the children, sons, and daughters!”
Sunday’s event wasn’t marred by police violence or counter-protestors. People who walked past the march were a mix of supportive, curious, or unconcerned, but never openly hostile. There were a few confused looks whenever the activists chanted in Arabic.
The crowd began to disperse around 5 o’clock, returning to life in a rich city in the most powerful country on earth. The next day, May 20th, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) requested arrest warrants for the Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Israel, as well as for three Hamas leaders. Although the Israeli leaders will likely never be imprisoned at the Hague, the pro-Palestine movement celebrated the ICC’s actions, eager for any event that could help to lessen the suffering of a tyrannized people.
On May 22nd, the governments of Ireland, Spain, and Norway announced their recognition of the State of Palestine, joining 143 other countries. Missing from that list is the United States, which vetoes the two-state solution every year at the United Nations. This year’s General Assembly vote on the topic was 143-9.
The pro-Palestine demonstrators in Raleigh are likely to be back on May 26th, demanding that their leaders join the world in calling for an end to the current war, the decades-long imprisonment of Gaza, and the 56-year Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.
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