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On May 14, 2023, a Nakba Day rally was held in Washington, D.C. in which speakers and activists glorified Palestinian "martyrs" and violent resistance and condemned Zionism and the U.S. government. Morris Rafiki, a member of the All-African People's Revolutionary Party, declared that United States must be destroyed since, according to Rafiki, it is an "illegal racist state." He also called for destruction of the U.S. government because it is Zionist and stated that "a good Zionist is a dead Zionist." Lance Lokas, a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement, praised Palestinian "martyrs" and resistance, saying: "For every martyr that Palestine gains, another rises to take his place." Another unnamed speaker said that the United States is complicit in the "genocide of the Palestinian people" and led the crowd in the chants "Shame, shame, USA!" and "Shame, shame, Biden!" Dr. Osama Abu Irshaid, the executive director of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) also spoke at the event, saying that the United States is corrupt. Footage of the rally was posted on the Instagram and Facebook pages of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) as well as the Instagram account of the D.C. chapter of the Black Alliance for Peace (BAP).
Lance Lokas, Palestinian Youth Movement: "Glory to our martyrs. May their ultimate sacrifice be remembered and be a compass guiding our work towards liberation. The Zionist colonial violence, the raids, the demolitions, and the massacres have been intensifying as collective punishment against the growing tide of resistance. But their repression only fuels our resistance. The more the Zionists try to extinguish the fire of resistance, the brighter it will grow, for every martyr that Palestine gains, another rises to take their place.
[...]
"Resistance in all its forms is only a response to a colonial condition. Palestinians have the right to resist violence, to defend our livelihoods, and to determine our future. To condemn Palestinian resistance is to demand that the Palestinian people submit passively to the daily violence of colonialism. It is a call to lie down and accept death."
Rafiki Morris, All-African People's Revolutionary Party: "Settler colonialism must be destroyed. And I want you all to understand this carefully, this country is an illegal racist state. It must be destroyed! It don't belong to them people in the White House. I have no business here. They brought me here so they can rip off the land that they stole from the Native Americans. You, Palestinians in the diaspora, you have no business here, you have a home, but they ran you out of their home to set up a base, a listening post, a center for imperialist penetration of the Middle East and of Africa.
[...]
"The only good Zionist is a dead Zionist! And I understand what that means. Because the Congressional Black Caucus is all Zionist, the U.S. Congress – Zionists, the White House – Zionists, the Senate – Zionists. In fact, one of the conditions of being part of the U.S. government is that you must be Zionist, that is the precondition to get in that house. So we say, let's burn that house down as well."
[...]
Chant leader: "Oh Zionist, get out [of Palestine]..."
Crowd: "Oh Zionist, get out [of Palestine]..."
Chant leader: "Palestine is free!"
Crowd: "Palestine is free!"
Chant leader: "Free, free Palestine!"
Crowd: "Free, free Palestine!"
[...]
Chant leader: "We don't want no two states..."
Crowd: "We don't want no two states..."
Chant leader: "We want '48!"
Crowd: "We want '48!"
Chant leader: "Intifada, Intifada!"
Crowd: "Intifada, Intifada!"
Chant leader: "Long live the Intifada!"
Crowd: "Long live the Intifada!"
[...]
Chant leader: "The gate of Al-Aqsa is made of iron..."
Crowd: "The gate of Al-Aqsa is made of iron..."
Chant leader: "It will only be opened by the martyrs!"
Crowd: "It will only be opened by the martyrs!"
[...]
Chant leader: "We will free Palestine!"
Crowd: "We will free Palestine!"
Chant leader: "Within our lifetime!"
Crowd: "Within our lifetime!"
[...]
Osama Abu Irshaid, American Muslims for Palestine: "Thank you for sending a message, not only to this corrupt Congress here, not only to this corrupt government, not only to the American people who yearn to know the truth...
[...]
"You know, if the American people are victim in their own country of their own politicians, of their own elected officials, you can imagine how the rest of the world would be a victim of this corrupt establishment."
[...]
Chant leader: "Seventy-five years!"
Crowd: "Too long!"
[...]
Speaker: "The U.S. is just as complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people as Israel is, or let me say: 'the illegitimate state of Israel' – because it is not a state, it is a regime, it is an imagination... It is a figment of their imagination that Palestine is their land...
[...]
"Shame, shame, USA!"
Crowd: Shame, shame, USA!"
Speaker: "Shame, shame, Biden!"
Crowd: "Shame, shame, Biden!"
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