Kelcy Conroy
Managing Editor
Dozens of people gathered in Providence on Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Islamic Center of RI- Masjid Al-Kareem from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for Rhode Island’s first annual ‘Palestine Day’.
This event was organized by Falasteen Diaspora United, Palestinian Feminist Collective and the Rhode Island chapter of PSL (Party for Socialism and Liberation.) Several other organizations helped make the event happen including the Rhode Island chapter of JVP (Jewish Voice for Peace). The organizations’ main focus in the event was to honor the history and liberation struggle of the Palestinian people. Their event featured local halal food vendors, cultural performances, prayer, political education sessions, children’s activities and more, educating people about Palestine and its history and culture in wake of the conflict that has been occurring in Gaza for the past year.
The event’s organizers stated attendees would “strengthen our community in Rhode Island, learn about our Palestinian history, commemorate the many decades of resistance by our people, honor our martyrs and prisoners and support our people’s steadfastness.”
Organizers stated that any donations they collected and any money made by vendors will go to the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA), an organization “providing emergency assistance to families [in Gaza] who have fled their homes to seek shelter with relatives as well as procuring emergency medical supplies for hospitals and clinics,” as stated on their website. MECA also helps provide humanitarian aid to people currently living in Gaza.
However, not everyone was receptive to this event. In a statement, the Rhode Island Coalition for Israel stated that “A true effort to uplift this community surely wouldn’t rely on fictional and anti-Semetic claims of ‘genocide’ to justify itself,” showing that there is still disagreement whether the conflict in Gaza is considered a genocide.
Despite this, dozens still showed up to have a good time and to help support the cause of Palestinian liberation. Reem Saie-Awad, one of the organizers stated that “we’ve had a whole year of continuing protesting, rallying, vigils, die-ins, anything you can think of for Palestine other than this.” To find out more about these organizations, check out the websites of PSL Rhode Island, Palestinian Feminist Collective, and JVP RI.
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