By Izzy McCabe and Nolan Good
Seattle, WA – On October 2, Seattleites took to the streets in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla, protesting the humanitarian aid fleet’s illegal interception by Israel the previous day. Nearly 100 activists packed into over 40 cars to form a motor caravan and cruised through some of the busiest streets in downtown Seattle during rush hour, disrupting traffic and unloading afterwards at a rally. The action was timed to coincide with other national and global efforts, like that of the Italian Unione Sindicale di Base (UDB), which enacted a general strike across Italy.
The caravan, as well as the rally attended by nearly 600 people, ensured that Seattleites could not ignore the events surrounding the Global Sumud Flotilla despite the U.S.’s repressive media doing its best to keep Americans in the dark.
Each of the more than three dozen cars drove in a bumper-to-bumper formation at a snail’s pace through Seattle’s Queen Anne, Downtown and Capitol Hill neighbourhoods, all the while waving Palestinian flags from each vehicle and proudly displaying messages of solidarity. Despite the serious disruption to what is already gridlock on a good day, the caravan was welcomed almost entirely with enthusiastic cheer and good spirit. At multiple points, cars caught amidst the caravan spontaneously joined for stretches of the route, honking along with the protestors as they all inched along the road at two miles per hour.
At the route’s end, the caravan was greeted by a rally of nearly 600 people. Speakers from Seattle’s anti-war community, including representatives from Seattle Against War, bil-Yad, Nidal, No Azure for Apartheid (NOAA), and Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return at the UW (SUPER) took the mic to speak about the Global Sumud Flotilla, Palestinian resistance, and the need for a powerful people’s movement here in the U.S. capable of supporting both.
“No business as usual until we see some serious material change!” said Seattle Against War member Joseph Ostheller, who drove the flagship car as well as helped to organize the event. “I want an arms embargo and I want an end to U.S. aid to Israel!”
Many of the speeches focused on that same theme, the need to build organizational power capable of forcing desperately needed change.
“Let this attack on the Sumud Flotilla be the new standing point for a sustained and steadfast global intifada!” said a member of Nidal. “It is our duty to the people of Gaza: to turn our righteous anger into an organized and permanent global intifada. We must continue to fight!”
The combined actions signal a marked step forward for the organizational cohesion of Seattle’s diverse anti-war movement, reflected by the numerous speeches calling for a stronger, bolder movement prepared to escalate the struggle.
The event is to be followed on Tuesday, October 7 by a march for Gaza which hopes to bring even more Seattleites together. Organizers called for attendees to turn out to that action as well, which will begin at 1 p…m at Cascade Playground in South Lake Union.
“With every passing day and every action, our organizations become larger, our movements stronger, our coalitions tighter,” said a statement from Seattle Against War put it. “We will win.”
#SeattleWA #WA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #SumudFlotilla
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