The Fight Against Suppression
Thousands show out on the streets of New York for the “Flood New York City For Gaza” protest focused not just on the war, but also policing, and censorship and suppression in the media and the workplace.
By Claudia Gohn
Protesters in Union Square on September 2.
Along 14th street in Union Square, a large Palestinian flag extended across the concrete blacktop. Many protesters wore keffiyehs or watermelon-patterned clothing. Speakers gave speeches and led chants without a megaphone or noise amplifier—their passion was enough to carry their voices over the crowd. One protester climbed on top of the George Washington statue and placed a Palestinian flag against the bronze horse. Some signs criticized Kamala Harris’s stance in support of Israel while simultaneously calling for a ceasefire, leading up to the upcoming presidential election. Others condemned Israel for killing mass amounts of children. Together, protesters chanted in support of a free Palestine and an end to the military siege in Gaza and the West Bank.
The action centered on ending the Israeli occupation in Gaza, but also spotlighted repression of political activism. “This protest is really focused on the repression of Palestine, whether that's physical repression by the police, or cyber repression by social media platforms like Meta, Facebook, even WhatsApp,” says Anas Saleh, an organizer for Healthcare Workers for Palestine NYC. “We're really focused on bringing awareness to the repression that Palestinians and pro Palestinians get when talking about Palestine”
On Monday, September 2, thousands of protesters from New York City and beyond marched out in Manhattan for a rally through the city. Speakers from Within Our Lifetime and various pro-Palestine organizations led the activists throughout the city, spearheading chants to energize the demonstrators. Several US cities have seen these types of wide-scale protests over the past 11 months—But what does this mean for New York City as an indisputable hub for both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel activism?
Following the attacks on October 7, 2023, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 100,000 have been injured. While this was nowhere near the start of pro-Palestinian protesting in New York, over the past 11 months, while the Israeli military has devastated Gaza and the West Bank, the city has seen hundreds of protests.
At the top of Union Square Park, along 17th St, Nick Rada met up with his fellow members of Rockaway for Palestine. They brought their families and children and shirts that read “Gaza is a Beach Town” to sell with proceeds going to mutual aid in Gaza.
“We're here to be with other people in the city where we normally are in Rockaway Beach, and there's a community of us there who are really active,” Rada said. “But it is important to come to other groups, other people that are protesting and be around thousands of people and try and be louder in the heart of New York City.”
Protesters brought signs and Palestinian flags.
Rafael Garcia, an organizer for the Shut it Down for Palestine Coalition in Queens, remembers a moment on the bridge above Pershing Square leading to Grand Central Station.
“I remember when I got to the part [on the bridge] that took the left looking all the way, and at the other end of the bridge still on the streets, there were still people,” he said. “I couldn't even see the end of the crowd—so big and, honestly, so impactful. I felt like that was such an important showing of people.”
Showing out to the streets of New York to exercise free speech is one way that protesters are able to make their voices heard. Often, pro-Palestine voices are silenced on social media and face shadow bans, post deletions, and even entire accounts taken down. WOL’s Instagram account has been taken down, along with Columbia’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter recently. Part of this protest spoke out against this censorship and silencing of Palestinian voices and advocates.
“It should be noted that they [WOL] were one of the first organizations actually that were removed from Instagram because of their pro-Palestinian views,” Saleh said. “Censoring a group like that, especially when they are at the front lines of Palestinian liberation, just tells you how hard and how intimidated Meta and other politicians are.”
Advocates at the Union Square protest also held banners with phrases like, “Stop Cop City Free Palestine” and “No Votes for Genocide Resist for Palestine.” Demonstrators marched north towards the UN building against the East River, but were blocked by NYPD officers from going that direction—which was representative of the very repression the group was up against. A few blocks away, on the corner of Third Ave and 45th St, the march halted to hear a speech from WOL organizer Nerdeen Kiswani.
She told the marchers that they were blocked from police, emphasizing the gravity of suppression and the value of demonstrating in New York City. “People from all over the country and all over the world came to New York City today to the United Nations headquarters and AIPAC Headquarters and Meta Headquarters,” she said. “We have the right to protest them.”
The march headed back downtown and ended in Washington Square Park. Some protesters took to the shade and sat under the trees to rest. Others gathered between the central fountain and the arch, circling around the large Palestinian flag now laid out across the ground, while speakers continued.
Protesters gather in Washington Square Park after marching.
Despite the impressive turnout, protesters believe there is still work to be done. And they don’t see the momentum of their work slowing down any time soon.
“The momentum for Palestine has been growing exponentially in the past 11 months. And [September 2] was an amazing show of that momentum building,” Garcia said. “I don't think it was the culmination, I believe that there is more to come.”
Claudia Gohn is a co-founder and co-editor-in-chief at Grassroots. She can be reached at claudia@grassrootsmagazinenyc.com