Solidarity with Palestine rally held at Westlake Center
Just one day after it was reported that the Biden Administration approved the sale of $735 million in missile guided weapons to Israel, a Seattle rally was held to protest the Israeli occupation and deadly force toward the people of Palestine.
The event was organized by @Falastiniyat, a Palestinian feminist grassroots organization based out of Seattle, with the mission to advocate for gender justice and to decry colonialism. A vast array of speakers were in attendance, including Nikkita Oliver and Kshama Sawant, as well as spokespersons from the Seattle People’s Party and the International Women’s Alliance.
Hundreds of local residents attended the event to support the cause, calling for an end to Israel’s continued colonial expansion and a stop to the decimation of Gaza. Protestors also expressed their condemnation of the Biden Administration, which continues to block UN statements that call for a ceasefire.
Tensions have mounted between the two countries since Israel was declared a state in 1948, eventually giving rise to Hamas in 1987, a Palestinian Islamist fundamentalist organization dedicated to liberating Palestine from Israeli occupation. Since 2008, ongoing Israeli expansion and war between Hamas and the Israeli government has resulted in the deaths of nearly 6,000 Palestinians and 251 Israelis.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been leading the offensive against Gaza, including the recent unlawful takeover of Sheikh Jarrah, a predominantly Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, with no signs of slowing down. Over 200 Palestinians, including 59 children, have been killed in the last week.
Jordan Somers is currently in his second year of Visual Media at Seattle Central College. He specializes in photojournalism and documentary work, with a particular emphasis on social movements happening throughout the city. His 2020 documentary, Hope is Not Cancelled, was an official selection at the Local Sightings Film Festival, and won an award for best editing at the Oregon Documentary Film Festival. Jordan is an avid traveler when granted the opportunity, and has a keen interest in psychology and existential philosophy.
