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Thursday, May 20, 2021
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Hundreds march in Dearborn in support of Palestinians
A few thousand Detroit and
Dearborn residents gathered to
rally against Israeli airstrikes
and evictions of Palestinians
Saturday afternoon. Organized
by
the
Palestinian
Youth
Movement
and
endorsed
by
the Party for Socialism and
Liberation – Detroit, protesters
of all ages marched through the
streets of Dearborn with chants
of “Free Palestine!” and “From
the river to the sea, Palestine will
be free!”
Demonstrators
waved
Palestinian flags of all sizes,
along with many signs with the
hashtag “#SaveSheikJarrah.” The
group expressed vocal outrage at
what they perceived as support
for Israel and inaction on behalf
of the Biden administration.
Beginning
at
the
Arab
American National Museum, the
crowd listened to speeches from
various organizers and activists
calling for the end to American
military investment in Israel,
through
a
movement
known
as
Boycott,
Divestment
and
Sanctions (BDS).
The group marched, biked, and
drove down Michigan Avenue,
with many bystanders showing
their support as they passed by,
sometimes waving flags of their
own. When the protest entered
the
neighborhood
streets
of
Dearborn, some residents stood
on
their
porches
expressing
support, and others even joined
the march.
The
protesters
blocked
westbound
traffic,
marching
down the M-153 highway, and
the group halted under a bridge,
where organizers hung flags
from the overpass.
Ultimately, the group gathered
outside
the
Dearborn
Police
Department, where organizers
voiced their support for the Black
Lives Matter movement, drawing
connections
between
Black
Americans’
struggle
against
systemic racism and the push for
Palestinian liberation.
As the protesters left the
Dearborn
Police
Department,
some planted small Palestinian
flags in the grass with the names
of Black people killed by police
written on them, including those
of George Floyd and Breonna
Taylor.
Once the group returned to
the Arab American National
Museum, organizers gave a few
final speeches and ended with
a call to action to come out to
protest Joe Biden’s upcoming
visit to the Ford Rouge Electric
Vehicle Center on Tuesday, May
18.
JARETT ORR
Daily Staff Photographer
MULTIMEDIA