New York activists rallied on Friday, 5 May in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli prisons. The demonstration was organized by Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network and American Muslims for Palestine-New Jersey.
The rally took place outside of the Best Buy electronics store in Union Square; participants distributed flyers and materials highlighting the involvement of Hewlett-Packard corporation in profiting from Israeli apartheid, including maintaining the database system of the Israel Prison Service as well as HP’s contracts with the Israeli military and involvement with the apartheid system of checkpoints and ID cards. Participants called on customers to boycott HP and demand the corporation end its business with Israeli occupation and apartheid.
Participants, including Adnan Farsakh of Samidoun, led chants in support of the Palestinian hunger strikers. 1500 Palestinian prisoners launched the strike in Israeli prisons on 17 April, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day. They are demanding basic human rights, including an end to the denial of family visits, proper medical care and treatment, and an end to solitary confinement and administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial.
Joe Catron of Samidoun spoke at the close of the rally, urging people to participate on Friday, 12 May – the next Samidoun demonstration to support Palestinian prisoners, at 5:30 pm at the Best Buy in Union Square – and on Saturday, 13 May, for the Nakba Day Rally for Resistance and Return, organized in Leif Erickson Park in Bay Ridge, organized by the NY4Palestine coalition.
Sayel Kayed of American Muslims for Palestine – NJ also spoke, emphasizing the importance of organizing to support the prisoners, including the work of Samidoun. He also highlighted the centrality of the prisoners’ struggle for the Palestinian cause.
During the protest, a passing Zionist started to heckle protesters for their support for Palestinian rights and freedom; however, several Puerto Rican passers-by, unaffiliated with the protest, interrupted to stop him. They emphasized that they shared Palestinians’ experience with colonialism and repression and expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.
