Last Thursday, I went to a talk at the Highland Community Library on the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The talk can be seen in the video above. It was given by Pitt-Johnstown professor Christopher Cook. There was a diverse group of about 30 people in attendance. Accordingly, this event plus the Free Palestine event in Washington, DC on Nov 4 and other events here show Gaza having an impact here.
A contingent from Johnstown and Pittsburgh plus others from around the U.S. went to the Free Palestine rally in Washington, D.C. in Freedom Plaza. The protest was peaceful with a crowd that was easily in the tens of thousands. To illustrate the energy of the event, I took the video below of the demonstration.
Conversely, today there was a rally in Washington in support of Israel’s offensive on Hamas. Speakers included Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and new Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. There likely was a contingent from western Pennsylvania but I do not know how many. There was a counter protest there today. I did not see a counter protest at the D.C. rally. This does not mean that there wasn’t one there however.
This Friday, Nov. 17, there will be nationwide protests in support of the People of Gaza. Likewise, there is also one in Johnstown, PA in Central Park at noon. According to the website Shut it Down for Palestine, there are at least 3 other protests in Pennsylvania. Organizers of the event in Johnstown state that:
This event will be a
– Teach in event where we look at the history of Palestine
– Expressing solidarity across all our communities in Johnstown and extending that solidarity to those facing genocide in Gaza
We demand:
1. An immediate end to all aggression and a ceasefire in Gaza.
2. End the blockade of Gaza.
3. The return of all the territory to the Palestinian people.
4. End the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
**Update**
I have been asked to seek a clarification of the third statement from the organizers of the rally on Friday. I spoke with one of the organizers who referred me to this statement from Put People First, one of the organizers of the event.
Members of Put People First! PA and residents around the state and country say “no”, to billions of our tax dollars going to Israel that could be spent providing healthcare and other needs to the 140 million poor and low-income people in the USA, including those in Johnstown and the Central-Appalachia region. Residents are calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to our government’s funding of the Israeli military and a reinvestment of those dollars into human needs in the U.S. as a path towards a just and peaceful resolution that ensures the safety of all poor and working people, an end to the occupation and the right of return for all refugees.