Photos: YouTube Screenshots
December 8, 2023 – Following the resumption of Israel’s attack on Gaza, the Shut It Down for Palestine movement is organizing a national day of protest to demand a permanent ceasefire along with the end of the siege on Gaza, an end to all U.S. aid to Israel, freedom for all Palestinian political prisoners, and an end to the occupation once and for all.
Dozens of actions across the country are taking place today to disrupt business as usual and demonstrate the broad and growing public support for a free Palestine, including marches, pickets of war profiteers, direct actions and other forms of protest. The gap between public opinion and the actions of politicians is huge and growing – opinion polls show support for a ceasefire above 60%, and yet the Biden administration is so far refusing to budge from its policy of full participation in the genocide against Gaza.
“Israel has resumed its massacre in Gaza with full backing of the U.S. government. We refuse to accept this and will continue to mobilize to exert pressure across the country, inspired by the steadfastness of our people in their heroic resistance to Israel’s genocidal violence. It is clear that not only the people of the U.S. stand with Palestine, but the majority of the world rejects apartheid, genocide, and the entire occupation,” said Yara Shoufani of the Palestinian Youth Movement.
“The genocide taking place today is part of a 75-year-long campaign by the apartheid regime of Israel to displace the Palestinian people and steal their land. The people’s movement taking the streets today is determined to win a permanent ceasefire, and we will continue to fight until Palestine is free. That means freedom for all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, an end to the siege on Gaza, and the end of the Israeli occupation of all Palestinian land from the river to the sea,” said Manolo De Los Santos, Executive Director of The People’s Forum.
Brian Becker, Executive Director of the ANSWER Coalition, said, “It is an outrage that Congress and the Biden administration are working to give Israel more than $14 billion in additional funding for their genocidal assault on Gaza. We demand that money be used to meet people’s needs, not purchase the weaponry that Israel uses to murder Palestinians.”
For more information about the December 8 Global Shutdown for Palestine and a list of the planned actions visit the website: shutitdown4palestine.org.
