The People Shut It Down for Palestine!
We want to send a big shout out to the hundreds of thousands of
people who volunteered, organized, participated in mobilizations and
disruptions, and engaged in the Shut Down day of action which started
as a national initiative but became a truly global manifestation of
solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Massive, widespread participation in yesterday's global day of
action to Shut It Down for Palestine leaves no doubt: The movement to
end Israel's genocide in Gaza is growing stronger and stronger. The
Biden administration is a full partner in this genocide, but in
cities, towns and college campuses across the country, the people made
it clear that we stand with Palestine!
The next big step for this movement will be on Black Friday
-- November 24. This is the biggest retail sales day of the year, with
billions of dollars in total sales. We will hold boycotts, disruptions
and rallies on this economically crucial day to make it clear that
there will be no business as usual until Palestine is
free.
Yesterday, genocide profiteers like Pratt & Whitney, Boeing,
and Textron were confronted by Shut It Down for Palestine protesters.
Massive marches were held that gathered outside train stations in
Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Protesters in Los Angeles brought the struggle to the Israeli
consulate and the highway. A march in Denver went into the city's
convention center to demand it reverse its decision to host the Global
Conference for Israel later this month. Hundreds of actions were held
in every part of the country that demanded a ceasefire now and the end
of all U.S. aid to Israel.
|
Student rally in
Boston: "You can't suspend the movement!" |
November 17th is commemorated globally as
the International Day of Student Struggle. National Students for
Justice in Palestine, Dissenters, the Palestinian Youth Movement, and
many others issued a call to action for nationwide campus actions --
resulting in dozens of walkouts involving thousands of students. The
student movement in Palestine as well as student organizations in 16
countries throughout North Africa and the Middle East also issued
calls to hold actions on Friday.
An important new component of the day of action was the
participation of hundreds of small businesses. Store owners across the
country closed up shop and proudly displayed posters in their windows
explaining that they had shut down for the day in solidarity with the
people of Palestine. Entire blocks in the heavily Palestinian
neighborhood of Bay Ridge in Brooklyn were shuttered.
|
Protesters inside CNN headquarters in
Atlanta unfurl a banner with the names of Palestinians murdered by
Israel and the U.S. government |
Shut It Down protesters also expressed their righteous anger at the
corporate media outlets who spread lies to cover up Biden and
Netanyahu's genocide. 16 protesters were arrested after hundreds
staged a disruption at the corporate headquarters of Fox News in New
York City. Disruptions were also held inside CNN headquarters in
Atlanta, at the Chicago Tribune and at other outlets that use their
power to excuse and rationalize the massacre of Palestinians.
This powerful people's movement is now set to massively disrupt
Black Friday. November 24th will be a day of boycott, disruptions and
rallies to make Israel and the U.S. government's crimes impossible to
ignore. We will continue to Shut It Down for Palestine!
Please make an urgently
needed donation to support solidarity work with Palestine in this
pivotal moment
|