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by Jamshed Bokhari WASHINGTON (Islam Online) - Thousands of demonstrators chanting "No return, no peace!" gathered Sunday in Washington, DC's Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House, to voice their demands that Palestinian refugees dispersed throughout the world not be denied the right to return to their homeland.
The demonstrations were also coordinated to coincide with the commemoration and remembrance of the 1982 massacres in Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps in Israeli-occupied Lebanon. Demonstrators offered a moment of silence to remember the event. Demonstrators carried signs stating, "Zionism is Racism," "No Return, No Peace," and "Return Liberation, Return Self Determination".
Speakers and groups representing the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Amnesty International, American Muslim Council (AMC) and the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) attended.
On the subject of Jerusalem, many demonstrators stated that all of the city should fall under the authority of Palestinians. "All Jerusalem, east and west, I think it should go back to the Palestinians," said a demonstrator who wished to remain anonymous. "Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine," reaffirmed the anonymous demonstrator. "We've been fighting for this for over 52 years, and I think its time for us to get it back," stated Darwish. Demonstrations were also planned in London and in the West Bank today. When asked the main message the demonstrators wished to impart through the demonstration, Darwish summed up the feelings of the demonstrators: "We wanna go home." |
As part of an international campaign calling for the right of nearly six million Palestinians dispersed throughout the world to return to Palestine, the Washington demonstration was coordinated to match similar demonstrations occurring in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The march and rally's main organizer, Al-Awda: The Palestinian Right to Return Coalition, gathered together several human rights, political, and lobbying groups to demonstrate on behalf of Palestinians worldwide.
Eihab Darwish, a member of al-Awda, stated that the organization, "includes everybody, Muslims and Christians," and has chapters in every major American city and has a significant presence on university campuses.
"Jerusalem is the capital," another demonstrator firmly stated with conviction and without hesitation.
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