Milwaukee, WI – On May 20, more than 1000 people came together for a Palestinian solidarity rally and march at the lakefront in downtown Milwaukee. This demonstration marked the largest of three actions that have been organized since last Monday when the Israeli government and Zionist mobs began their latest round of violence against the Palestinian people.

The action was called for by a coalition of organizations from Milwaukee, including faith-based groups, student and youth groups, and others. These groups included American Muslims for Palestine, the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition, Jewish Voices for Peace, Students for Justice in Palestine and the Muslim Student Associations from both UW-Milwaukee and Marquette.

Speakers stood in the back of a pickup truck and addressed the growing crowd. Two Palestinian youths took several minutes to read off the names of the 64 children who have been killed in just the last week. Another young Palestinian woman provided a call to action and laid out the purpose of the protest plainly.

“Boycott, divestment and sanctions – also known as BDS – is how we make our moves, and we need your numbers,” said Yasmeen Atta, a leader from the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter at Marquette University. “What we are protesting is the theft of Palestinian lands and freedom by the apartheid state of Israel since 1948, and let this serve as a reminder that the Nakba never ended.”

Following a rousing series of chants, the pickup truck drove into the street while people gathered behind a large banner that read “Jerusalem Red Line.” The procession traveled north on Prospect Avenue. Chants of “In our millions and our billions, we are all Palestinian” and “No justice on stolen land” rang out as the march traveled past a busy park, coffee shops and other storefronts.

The route ended back at the original rallying point where several more speakers closed the event. More solidarity rallies are expected in the coming days. The global movement for a free Palestine and to end Israeli apartheid is picking up steam with each passing year. People in the U.S. have a special role to play in the fight to come as the U.S. government sponsors the Israeli military to the tune of $3.8 billion a year.

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