We were shocked and enraged to hear of the murder of recent University of Washington graduate Aysenur Ezgi Eygi at the hands of the Israeli Defense Forces. On September 6th, Aysenur was in the West Bank standing alongside Palestinians and other demonstrators peacefully protesting illegal Israeli settlements when Israeli forces fired two rounds of gunfire. Aysenur was shot in the head and died shortly after being transported to a hospital in Nablus. She joins the tens of thousands of Palestinians martyred by the Israeli military in the last year, now escalated even further with the brutal invasion of the West Bank. According to the International Solidarity Movement, who she was volunteering with at the time, she is the 18th protester killed in the Palestinian village of Beita since 2020 defending against the illegal settlement expansions.

This is a terrible, horrifying loss. Those of us who knew Aysenur (“Ezgi”, for many who organized with her) knew her to be a genuine, passionate, and determined person –a voice for the oppressed and the working class internationally. And for her, words alone were not enough. Ezgi was the type of socialist who embodied the true spirit of solidarity. From Standing Rock to organizing against Trump's hateful agenda to the George Floyd uprising, wherever people were struggling for liberation, Ezgi was there at their side. She played an instrumental role in organizing the pro-Palestine student encampment at UW last spring, even participating in negotiations with the administration regarding their ties to Boeing and Israel.

As we mourn Ezgi’s loss, we remember her words from a 2017 speech during a student walkout she helped lead right after Trump's inauguration:

"Mass movements of ordinary people have succeeded in blocking right wing bigoted presidents before….we are fighting for socialist change. As long as our future is decided by profit-driven oil corporations and millionaire lobbyists, things will only get worse. For many of us, this movement isn't just about stopping Trump, it's about creating a world free from racism, from sexism, from income inequality, and environmental disruption…And ultimately, we call for a political revolution against the billionaire class and a socialist alternative.”

We offer our deepest condolences to all family, friends, and community who are affected by this loss. We grieve alongside the International Solidarity Movement, and support the call for an independent investigation into this unlawful killing of a U.S. citizen.

As the Biden/Harris administration continues to enable a genocide, we demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire and an end to US military aid to Israel. Only when the US government stops funding it will there be an end to the genocide, occupation, and apartheid in Palestine. We can only hope to honor Ezgi’s example of resistance and continue to fight for a world free from genocide, imperialism, capitalism, and for the liberation of Palestine and all oppressed people.

Seattle DSA Local Council
Seattle DSA Palestine Solidarity Working Group