In Los Angeles, holiday weekend in solidarity with Gaza

Even though many Los Angeles activists had traveled to Detroit to attend the People’s Conference for Palestine during the holiday weekend, those who remained in Southern California joined a great action to show their support for the historic Sumud Flotilla.

Up to 50 boats populated by people from 44 countries set sail on Aug. 31 and then on Sept. 4 from ports in Spain and Tunisia. These brave activists are headed to Gaza to deliver food and medicine and to break the siege enforced by the U.S.-backed, genocidal Zionist regime.

Three hundred fifty people participated in the Aug. 31 action in L.A. Protesters, carrying Palestinian flags and banners, marched to the end and rallied on the famed Santa Monica Pier to show their support. The turnout by activists was significant, considering it was a holiday weekend when many organizers were out of town. 

Even more noteworthy was that tourists and families enjoying the holiday weekend and taking in the sights from the Pier chanted along with protesters and applauded as we marched. 

Harriet Tubman Center, Justice 4 Palestine, Irvine Muslim Activists, CodePink LA, and others planned and got the word out about the important action. Veterans for Peace helped organize, and significantly, one of the boats that set sail to break the siege of Gaza is populated entirely with VFP members. Simultaneous to the action on the pier, a grouping that has devoted itself to banner drops all over Los Angeles for the last several months displayed a huge banner from a pedestrian bridge nearby that said “STOP ARMING ISRAEL.”