Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators Gather and March in Downtown Raleigh

Up to a thousand protesters gathered in Moore Square last Saturday, May 15, and marched in support of Palestine. The conflict between Palestinians in Gaza and Israel has continued to increase over the previous week. The current violence stems from disputed evictions in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, as well as operations at Al Aqsa mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam, where hundreds of Palestinian civilians were injured in a raid by Israeli security forces. Hamas demanded Israel withdraw said security forces and in the absence of these demands being validated, the Palestinian organization began launching Iranian provided rockets into the Jewish state.

Hundreds of local protestors, perhaps approaching a thousand, gathered in Moore Square on Saturday. Many carried Palestinian flags and draped the traditional Palestinian headscarf around themselves. They carried signs ranging in wording from “end Israeli oppression” and “free Palestine” to the more extreme equating Israel to Nazi Germany. They brought their children, families, and loved ones all with passion and peace to promote their cause. The brotherhood amongst those gathered was apparent and while fervent chants of “free Palestine” echoed throughout the day, little evidence presented itself of violence or outright malice. Discussions were overhead throughout the crowd as some were simply uniting in friendship and others talking of the ways in which governments should be constructed and provide for their people. One man holding a young child saying he didn’t need a huge social system as could be found in Europe that provides healthcare for all. He simply wanted a government that was accountable to its people.

Similar organizational efforts to those of previous BLM/Antifa rallies and marches were also in effect on Saturday the 15^th. The Black Bloc was present, though they did not play the central role they normally do during BLM rallies in Raleigh. The National Lawyers Guild legal observers in green hats were present as they had been for previous events. These members are largely there to direct bail money from donated funds should anyone be arrested during the events of the day.

After about an hour of chanting and congregating at Moore Square, the attendees began to mobilize a march. Members of the march blocked traffic as they slowly moved down the street carrying flags and signs. Police presence was moderate, with several motorcycle patrolmen attempting to safely corral the march. The crowd filled the street from sidewalk to sidewalk and onlookers. as they usually do, took pictures with their phones with neither signs of support nor opposition. As the march continued to change direction at various intersections, police rerouted their vehicles to get ahead of the march and prevent traffic from conflicting with the march.

As the march progressed down Salisbury St, they paused in front of the Wake County Justice Center to direct their chants at the building. A familiar refrain was chanted: “We see you. We love you.” As the march passed the central bus station, a small cluster of what appeared to be Black Hebrew Israelites chanted “we need you” in support of the marchers. The march ended where it began, in Moore Square, where signs were held up with the phone numbers for local representatives. Everyone was urged to oppose the Unites States’ support of Israel, with the refrain that without US support for Israel, the occupation of Palestine would not be possible.

Throughout the day, the march was never declared unlawful nor a riot by RPD, and the marchers, aside from the minority of Black Bloc, did not verbally intimidate nor assault bystanders.