October 4th began with autumn colors flying through the sunny breeze, alongside the red, black, white, and green of Palestine’s flag, large and small, but nonetheless bold. It is the same day a myriad of local groups organized a Pro-Palestine march on the Colorado Capitol’s front lawn. Organized by the Colorado Palestine Coalition, an umbrella organization including Denver Anti War Action (DAWA), the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Students for Democratic Success (SDS), Rednecks for Palestine and others, the event began at noon and lasted three hours. Marchers gathered at the foot of the Capitol’s west staircase; many wore keffiyehs in various wraps. At its peak, the march garnered more than five hundred people. Its goal was to continue proudly supporting Palestine’s liberation and the effort to end Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.
The event was well established with a wheelchair-accessible route and a bounty of water, snacks, and pre-made signs. Passers-by honked their car horns in support whenever marchers were street-side. A few counter-protestors waved signs that read “Hamas NOT Israel is committing genocide” and stayed around a half hour before dispersing as the protest went on.
A member of the Afghan community spoke of being an ally to Palestinians. With each striking sentence, she lamented the martyring of children and reminded the audience of the strength and resistance that the people in Gaza and the Palestinian diaspora have held onto for over two years.
“Your fight is bound to mine,” she said, connecting the story of loss to past and present conflicts in Afghanistan, Congo, Mexico, Sudan, and the U.S.
As the protesters marched down 14th Street, callbacks and songs energized the crowd. One protester, attending with her mother, said she is “done paying for a war” and urged others to boycott what the crowd came to call “the U.S. War Machine.” The marchers referred to themselves as within “the belly of the beast” while they protested U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts.
Across from brunch patios and under apartment balconies, on the marchers’ route, an event speaker and Palestinian teen let rage, grief, and pride amplify her voice to the marchers. She spoke of her grandparents fleeing their homes across the Jordan River for safety, and how their simple life in America is “a threat to Israel.” She drew hope from supporters of Palestine in Italy, who recently conducted a large-scale general strike that demanded attention. As she explained, the worldwide effort against war crimes in Gaza has made her hope that her family will be able to see a free Palestine in their lifetime.
The movement for peace in Gaza calls for a nationwide boycott of companies linked to Israel. One marcher suggested the phone application ‘No Thanks,’ which assists consumers in identifying and boycotting the aforementioned companies. Organizers asked local governments and citizens to make a difference by divesting money from Israel and becoming more educated on the topic. Besides any of the Pro-Palestinian organizations mentioned above, Doctors Without Borders is also actively delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza.
