Tallahassee, FL – On March 1, around 50 people joined Tallahassee Students of a Democratic Society (SDS) in a rally at Florida State University for a “Hands off Rafah!” national day of action called by National SDS. The event opposed ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah.
Activists and community members gathered to demand Florida State University cut all economic ties and partnerships with Israel. Organizers discussed the recent attacks on civilians in Rafah by the Israeli occupation forces. These attacks are only exacerbated by FSU’s consistent support of Israeli through University President Richard McCullough’s neglect of Palestinian lives, the presence of several Zionist organizations with birthright programs on campus, and FSU’s partnership with Boeing – a military contractor that manufactures weapons for Israel.
John Ocampo, former president of FSU Students for Justice in Palestine, stated, “Just yesterday, a convoy of food and supplies reached Gaza city. After two months of exclusively eating animal feed, this aid provided Palestinians in Gaza with a moment of hope, and what did Israeli troops do when they saw Palestinians attempting to find food? They fired on a crowd of civilians: killing over 100 people and injuring nearly 1000. This brought the death toll to over 30,000, including 14,000 children.”
Thomas Speirs from the Tallahassee Community Action Committee addressed how this genocide is national oppression and class oppression, stating, “It is yet another example of class warfare. The GDP per capita in Israel is around $55,000. In Palestine it is less than $4000. That’s millions of people made to be impoverished for the sake of empire.”
In his speech, Palestinian activist Ahmad Daraldik reminded attendees of the importance of their activism at this moment, stating, “I hope you understand that every action you take is important. It is remembered, and it is necessary to get us to the point that we all aspire to be in. So please, do what you can, when you can, and how you can because action is the only path forward!”
To close the rally, Joelle Nuñez, president of Tallahassee SDS, pointed out the hypocrisy of the U.S. government, stating, “Isn’t it interesting how the United States labels any group fighting for national and economic liberation a terrorist group? While the genocidal Israeli government and U.S. Army are not terrorist groups?”
She hammered home SDS’s stance on Palestine’s fight for liberation, quoting Frank Chapman of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, “We ain’t neutral in this! We want Palestine to win!”
The organizations represented include Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Tallahassee Food Not Bombs, the Tallahassee Community Action Committee, and the Student/Farmworker Alliance at Florida State University.
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