By Bill Shortell
I crossed the street through the light, cold rain up to the small crowd gathering in front of the Taqwa Mosque on Arch St in New Britain at 4:00pm on Sunday, October 29. Omer Abdelgader, President of the Executive Committee of the Islamic Association of Central Connecticut, greeted me and said that they had considered calling off the March for Palestine because of the rain, but the young people had insisted that it go on.
The students, just leaving their Koran studies at the Mosque were excited and determined. We waited for a few minutes as more people arrived, mostly from New Britain, led by members of the New Britain Racial Justice Coalition.
As we began marching through the drizzle, Omer had to slow down the eager young women at the front, leading chants that they had on their cell phones, with a small bullhorn:
“Freeee Palestine!”
“Free, Free Palestine!”
Horrified by the ongoing massacre in Gaza, we were there to make it known that there were many of us in New Britain who were for peace:
“Ceasefire Now!”
“Ceasefire Now!”
Our chants rang among the downtown buildings as we marched toward City Hall, filling the broad brick sidewalk. By the time we reached West Main there were about 50 of us, as Pro-Palestine activists from other towns arrived to swell our ranks with banners and signs. There were supporters from the Democratic Town Committee, the Democratic Socialists of America, and other groups.
It also included several of the Mosque elders, who helped decide the direction and length of the march, in quiet consultation.
Our little crowd lacked some of the angry edge I’ve seen in other rallies for Gaza around the state, but it was no less determined, informed, and LOUD! It was a good introduction for New Britain’s large Yemeni community.
Before marching back down Arch St, we listened to some brief remarks by Omer and a couple of others including Suomi Dode, President of the New Britain Racial Justice Coalition. She said,
“I am standing here with all of you in solidarity with Palestine. To call for an end to the decades of Israeli violence. To call for an end to apartheid, an end to genocide. To call for a free Palestine!
… when you sleep at night don’t think about the disturbing images you have seen but imagine a Free Palestine where Palestinian families are able to exist freely and raise families living on the same land of their grandparents. Think of Palestinian children able to run and play on the beach.”
Back at the Mosque we were proud and happy at our intervention in this world crisis.
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