Philadelphia rally: End U.S./Israeli siege of Gaza!

Hundreds of pro-Palestine activists gathered outside Philadelphia’s City Hall late afternoon on Aug. 10 demanding a stop to the siege of Gaza and an end to U.S. and Israel’s forced starvation and genocide in Gaza. Organized by the Philadelphia Palestine Coalition and endorsed by over 20 organizations, the protest called for people “to flood the streets, show up like we never have before and remain steadfast in our solidarity with the Palestinian people” who are suffering from mass starvation.

From the comments made by the Coalition speaker who opened the rally and throughout the chants on the march that followed, support for the resistance in Gaza and West Asia was the clear message.

After the opening rally, protesters marched up JFK Boulevard to 18th Street where they stopped for a mini-rally outside the Philadelphia offices of the Boston Consulting Group. BCG is responsible for the creation of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, set up with the goal of forcing Palestinians to flee Gaza due to the mass starvation. As of Aug. 10, over 1,500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers and U.S. mercenaries while seeking food from the so-called aid distribution sites run by GHF in Gaza.

Speaking at the location, Hannah Gann, with Philadelphia Educators for Palestine, also addressed BCG’s consulting role when it was hired by the Philadelphia school district. The result:  30 public schools were closed in 2013.  

From the BCG office, the demonstration stopped at Sister City Park to hear a speaker for Free Congo Philly. 

The march continued to the headquarters of war profiteer Day & Zimmermann for a closing rally. A speaker from Philadelphia Students for Justice in Palestine described how this company, the manufacturer of weapons used by the Israel Occupation Forces to kill and maim Palestinians in Gaza, has become the target of twice weekly demonstrations. For the past 11 weeks, these protests have been demanding Day & Zimmermann “out of Philly!”