'Arms embargo now!’ Hundreds march in downtown San Diego for Palestinian liberation
The Palestinian Youth Movement San Diego chapter organized the demonstration to mark the two-year anniversary of Hamas' attacks that led to Israel's decimation of Gaza.
Photo Essay by Brittany Cruz-Fejeran, Edited by Lauren J. Mapp
Hundreds of people shouted “Shame” at the mention of United States’ involvement in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza during a speech at the Rise Up for Gaza demonstration in front of the San Diego Administration Building on Sunday.
Organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement San Diego chapter, the demonstration included speakers encouraging people to continue showing up to rallies and to never let their voices go silent.
The demonstration and march that followed were held two days before the anniversary of Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led attacks in Israel killed at least 1,200 people, with 251 more people kidnapped, according to the Israeli government.
That ignited the ongoing war in Gaza, during which Israel has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, nearly a third of whom are children, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs. The UN also reports that 1.98 million people in Gaza, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis are facing crisis levels or worse of food insecurity, and as of July, 78% of all structures have been destroyed or damaged.
Although the conflict predates 2023, demonstrators noted that Israel’s retaliation after the Hamas attack came after decades of violence against Palestinians.
During her speech, Palestinian Youth Movement member Farida said the peoples’ role isn’t only to commemorate the anniversary of the most recent wave of violence against people in Gaza, but to also find their place within the movement. Participating in boycotts; volunteering with Palestinian organizations like PYM, Jewish Voice for Peace and Healthcare Workers 4 Palestine; and educating other people could contribute toward Palestine’s liberation, said Farida, who asked that her last name be omitted.
Following speeches, demonstrators marched along North Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway yelling chants like “World leaders grow a spine. Stop the killings. Stop the crime” and “Justice is our demand. No peace on stolen land.”
