Editors note: Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with a link to a story explaining the history between Israel and Palestine, and the phrase ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. View full gallery here.
Shut it Down for Palestine protests called for international action Nov. 9, and protesters gathered outside of the Capitol building in Denver in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
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Speakers at the protest echoed demands for action from state representatives. Namely, they called for a ceasefire and a stop to all Colorado-sourced military aid to Israel.
“It is fairly clear what Israel wants to do,” speaker Nadeen Ibrahim said. “They want to annex Gaza into Israel. They’re doing it through ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people who, by the way, are not monolith. Those are our Muslim and Christian sisters and brothers in Gaza.”
The crowd condemned politicians by name, including President Joe Biden, Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Rep. Jason Crow and Gov. Jared Polis.
“They’re using that very simple excuse of self-defense that these people in this building (the Denver Capitol) continue to support and stand by,” Ibrahim said. “As Coloradans, we say no to apartheid. As Coloradans, we demand a ceasefire now.”
A large portion of the crowd was made up of students. The Denver chapter of Students for a Democratic Society led a group from the Auraria Campus to the Capitol, and Denver public school students joined the masses as well. Students voiced concern about the treatment of the Palestinian people and their tax dollars being spent on military aid to Israel while the city of Denver faces so many housing and education issues.
“The reason for the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’ is because for the past 75 years, there has been forced displacement, home demolitions, murder, apartheid and just absolute genocide by the Israeli regime, and we want to be free from that. Our freedom does not mean another people’s dispossession.” -Abdullah Elagha, Colorado Palestine Coalition organizer
According to the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, Colorado contributes over $76 million to military aid for Israel.
“We refuse to let our tax dollars be used to finance the death and suffering of the Palestinian people,” said Alex Borenstein, organizer with the Jewish Voice for Peace.
The group was unable to go into the Capitol and remained outside for the duration of the protest. Organizers handed out pamphlets instructing people to text “GAZA” to 21000 and fill out the link they received. They also provided a script to be used when calling local representatives.
Protesters echoed chants like, “Free, free, free Palestine; long live Palestine,” “Biden, Biden, you can’t hide; we charge you with genocide,” and, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
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“Back in the day, we couldn’t have imagined this, and now it’s so beautiful to see you all here,” Borenstein said. “This is a turning point for people seeking liberation globally. And I want you to recognize that you are part of that movement. And don’t let these people take that away from you. America’s public opinion is rapidly changing.”
These chants have been consistent in several protests supporting Palestine. While the politicians’ names may change, protesters have focused on several consistent key demands.
After the protest, the Party for Socialism and Liberation branch in Denver posted an Instagram reel stating their demands in the caption: for Polis, Hickenlooper, Sen. Michael Bennet, U.S. House representatives for Colorado and the Colorado General Assembly to endorse a ceasefire; “for Colorado to end all partnerships with the apartheid state of Israel”; for Colorado to reject the Global Conference for Israel from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3 at the Colorado Convention Center; and for Polis to pull out as one of its speakers.
“The reason for the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’ is because for the past 75 years, there has been forced displacement, home demolitions, murder, apartheid and just absolute genocide by the Israeli regime, and we want to be free from that,” Abdullah Elagha with the Colorado Palestine Coalition said. “Our freedom does not mean another people’s dispossession.”
What is happening to the people of Gaza is not just happening in Gaza, Ibrahim said. She told the crowd that there is “a collective punishment against all Palestinians” and that Palestinians on the West Bank had also seen colonization.
“All the Palestinians that are here in the crowd today, we feel that collective punishment too,” Ibrahim said. “Whether it be from our employers (or) whether it be from our educators that want to come tell us what it means to be Palestinian.”
Not all government officials remained in the Capitol building during the protest. Colorado state Rep. Säid Sharbini came out to support the crowd and his fellow Palestinians.
“One of the main reasons I’m here today is that these are my people,” Sharbini said. “I don’t stand here and say that what Hamas did was right because it wasn’t. What they did was indiscriminate killing, which is what we’re seeing now. And I’m here to just say we need to stop the violence, stop the killing and focus on actual practical ways to move forward. For me, the biggest message we should be sending here is the ceasefire.”
Sharbini also wanted to ensure that the students and organizers felt supported.
“As much as I can do is just be here and support people,” Sharbini said. “Support these kids that came out here, running this rally, making sure that they know that we’re here backing them up.”
While the protest was peaceful, one protester was detained after an incident between Palestinian protesters and a counterprotester in support of Israel.
Reach Ivy Secrest at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @IvySecrest.
