Twenty thousand march in New York City for Palestine on May Day

Twenty thousand workers and students took to New York City’s streets on May Day to denounce the genocide in Gaza and police attacks on college encampments.

People came to Foley Square in lower Manhattan to rally, surrounded by courthouses run by the capitalist deep state. These included the federal courthouse where Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were framed and sentenced to the electric chair.

Delegations of city workers, health workers and other union members came along with students. Plenty of older folks attended too. They carried hundreds of colorful signs and banners.

The rally at Foley Square was co-chaired by Manolo De Los Santos, executive director of The People’s Forum, and Lameess Mehanna of the Palestinian Youth Movement.

Speakers from Health Care Workers for Palestine and City Workers for Palestine denounced Genocide Joe Biden’s support for the killing of 14,000 Palestinian children. Also speaking were representatives from the United Auto Workers; the Palestinian Youth Movement; PAL Al-Awda: the Palestine Right to Return Coalition; Tech Workers Against Apartheid; and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

People marched to Washington Square near where New York University students had their encampment attacked by police with many students arrested. One section of the demonstration continued to march and rallied at a NYU building complex. Other groups marched to the New School and Fordham University.

Police have arrested hundreds at the NYU, City College and Columbia University campuses in New York City. As of the morning of May 2, there were still 50 people in jail from the roughly  300 arrested at City College and Columbia. Some students are facing felony charges.

None of the police attacks in New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans or elsewhere are stopping the momentum of the movement to stop the genocide in Gaza. Free Palestine!