Photos: YouTube
December 31, 2023, New York City – Pro-Palestine activists with the Shut It Down For Palestine coalition will march on New Year’s Eve in the heart of midtown Manhattan to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and an end to all U.S. funding of Israel. The march starts at 2:00 pm, Dec 31, at Columbus Circle (59th & 8th) in New York City.
The march is organized by a broad coalition of progressive movements across the city which includes the Palestinian Youth Movement, the People’s Forum, the ANSWER Coalition, Al-Awda NY, Nodutdol, Dissenters NYC, Black Men Build NYC, Mamas 4 A Free Palestine, Bangladeshi Americans for Political Progress, Healthcare Workers for Palestine, CUNY For Palestine, Law Students for a Free Palestine, the Audre Lorde Project, Defend Democracy in Brazil, NYU SJP, No Tech For Apartheid, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Israel has not given a moment of respite to Palestinians despite reiterated calls for a ceasefire from the majority of the world’s heads of state as well as from all major international organizations such as the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders USA, Oxfam America, and Amnesty International. In fact Israel has only escalated its attacks, carrying out massacres in Palestinian refugee camps on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, bringing the death toll to nearly 22,000.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden along with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin continue to hand Israel a blank check and reiterate their total support for Israel and its assault on Gaza, at all possible moments.
Progressive movements in NYC refuse to accept this and we will continue to make our voices heard, echoing the sentiments of around 55% of U.S. voters who are against sending more aid to Israel for their war.
“This New Year thousands of New Yorkers will be on the streets to demand that our elected officials listen to our demand for a permanent ceasefire, an end to the murderous siege on Gaza, and an end to U.S. funding of the occupation. We have been in a state of permanent mobilization for the last 12 weeks and we will continue to raise our voices until Palestine is free!” said Layan Fuleihan of the People’s Forum.
“Israel uses bombs and munitions paid for by our tax dollars to massacre hundreds of Palestinians on a daily basis and does so with impunity thanks to the unwavering support of Biden, Blinken, Austin and even politicians in our city. But these war criminals do not speak for us and we will continue to express our unshakable solidarity with the Palestinian people and demand an end to this genocide,” said Munir Marwan of the Palestinian Youth Movement.
For more information about the December 31 Global Shutdown for Palestine and a list of the planned actions visit the website: shutitdown4palestine.org.
