Speakers At Washington D.C. Nakba March: Our Struggle Is Not about A Ceasefire, Civil Rights, Humanitarian Crisis, Or Peace – It Is To Defeat Imperialism With Intifada, To Take Our Land Back; We Don't Want Two States, We're Taking Back '48!

In a May 18, 2024 D.C. march on the National Mall commemorating the Nakba, speakers stated that they are not interested in a ceasefire but the end to the State of Israel. They chanted: "We don't want no two states… We're taking back '48!" An organizer with Maryland2Palestine said that Zionism is a "sickness." She continued to say that the Palestinian struggle is not a movement for a ceasefire or civil rights, nor is it due to a humanitarian crisis, but rather it is to defeat imperialism. The speaker said that imperialism has never been defeated by peace talks and that it can all be defeated by Intifada. She then led the crowd in a song about a return to Jerusalem, Haifa, Jaffa, Acre, Safed, Lod, and Ramla.

Aya of the Palestinian Youth Movement said that she is not protesting for peace, but for justice and to get Palestinian land back. She said that protesters cannot be "shortsighted" and stop at a ceasefire, but rather the protest should be for the "total liberation of Palestine," and the end of the "76-year Zionist occupation."

Osama Abuirshaid, executive director of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), said that the pro-Palestinian movement is not antisemitic. He explained that "the only antisemites" are those who claim that Israel represents the Jewish people." Abuirshaid added: "You are part of the antisemitism movement if you stand for what Israel is doing." Footage of the protest was uploaded to FreeRoam Protests on YouTube.

Crowd:  "Biden, Biden, you will see... Genocide is your legacy!

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"Let's say it loud and clear...We don't want to see a single Zionist!"

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Organizer with Maryland2Palestine: "We say: Victory or martyrdom, and with every martyr that joins the ranks in the Heavens, a new fighter rises. So as long as Zionism is imposed onto the Palestinian people, resistance will always follow. Zionism is a sickness, it is a disease of white supremacy and imperialism. Our struggle is not a ceasefire or civil rights movement. It is not a humanitarian crisis or a cry for new leadership. We are in battle against imperialism, and imperialism has never been defeated through peace talks, through discussions between the sword and the neck.

"Imperialism will not be defeated through normalization, it will be defeated by the Intifada!"

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"I will return!"

Crowd:  "Return!"

Organizer: "To Acre and Haifa!"

Crowd:  "Return!"

Organizer:  "To Safed and Jaffa!"

Crowd:  "Return!"

Organizer:  "To Lod and Ramla!"

Crowd:  "Return!"

Organizer:  "I will return!"

Crowd:  "Return!"

Organizer:  "To Jenin and Nablus!"

Crowd:  "Return!"

Organizer:  "To Jerusalem and Ramallah!"

Crowd:  "Return!"

Organizer:  "– I will return!"

Crowd:  "Return!"

Organizer:  "To my homeland!"

Crowd:  "Return!"

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Aya of the Palestinian Youth Movement: "I am not here to make a plea for humanity. I am not here for peace. I want justice! I want our land back!"

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"It is important that when we achieve a ceasefire, we do not forget our goals for liberation and self-determination."

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Osama Abuirshaid: "We will liberate America from this corrupt imperial institution. We will free America from those who are funding, enabling, acting, and are complicit in genocide."

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Aya: "We cannot be shortsighted and stop at a ceasefire. Everything we built now will be for the total liberation of Palestine, it will be to end the 76-year Zionist occupation of Palestine."

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Abuirshaid: "We are not antisemitic. The only antisemitic people... The only antisemitic Semites are the ones claiming that Israel represents the Jewish people. Israel is not an embodiment of Judaism. Israel is not the voice of the Jewish people. And anyone who stands with Israel, including Arab corrupt regimes... Arab criminals, as is Israel, as is Biden, as is this Congress! It doesn't matter if you are Muslim, it doesn't matter if you are Arab, you are part of the antisemitism movement if you stand for what Israel is doing. But us – us are the force that fights against all forms of bigotry, and it ends up in a liberated Palestine."

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Crowd:  "Palestine is ours alone! Palestine is ours alone! We don't want no two states! "We're taking back '48!"