Protestors, Activists At Nakba Day Rally In Brooklyn: Palestine Will Be Free By Any Means Necessary! All Of Israel Is Stolen Land – Stand Up And Fight Back!

On May 13, 2023, a Nakba Day rally was held in the Bay Ridge neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. At the rally, protesters chanted in support and praise of violent Palestinian resistance and "martyrs." They chanted slogans such as "Ongoing Nakba – ongoing muqawama [resistance]!", "Liberation is our demand, all of Israel is stolen land!", "Palestine will be free by any means necessary!", "Globalize the intifada!", and "When Palestine is under attack, what do you do? Stand up, fight back!" Nerdeen Kiswani, an activist belonging to an organization called Within Our Lifetime, spoke and said that Israel is not an "actual state", but rather "a time period we are going through." She also referred to the Holyland Five, five U.S. citizens affiliated with the Holyland Foundation who are imprisoned for having funneled millions of dollars to Hamas, as "political prisoners".

Footage of the rally was uploaded to the JavierSorianoNY YouTube channel. The event was advertised on social media by Within Our Lifetime as a "family friendly" event. The event was also sponsored by other organizations, including Samidoun, Existence Is Resistance, the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Muslim American Society (MAS), the An-Nour Social Center, the Muslim Community Center, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and others.

Chant leader: "Ongoing Nakba!"

Crowd: "Ongoing Nakba!"

Chant leader: "Ongoing muqawama [resistance]!"

Crowd: "Ongoing muqawama [resistance]!"

[...]

Chant leader: "Nablus to Jenin..."

Crowd: "Nablus to Jenin..."

Chant leader: "All of Palestine!"

Crowd: "All of Palestine!"

[...]

Chant leader: "Liberation is our demand..."

Crowd: "Liberation is our demand..."

Chant leader: "All of Israel is stolen land!"

Crowd: "All of Israel is stolen land!"

Chant leader: "Zionism is a crime..."

Crowd: "Zionism is a crime..."

Chant leader: "Settlers out of Palestine!"

Crowd: "Settlers out of Palestine!"

[...]

Chant leader: "The gate of Al-Aqsa is made of iron..."

Crowd: "The gate of Al-Aqsa is made of iron..."

Chant leader: "It can be opened only by martyrs!"

Crowd: "It can be opened only by martyrs!"

[...]

Chant leader: "If we don't get no justice, then they don't get no peace!"

Crowd: "If we don't get no justice, then they don't get no peace!"

[...]

Chant leader: "We don't want two states..."

Crowd: "We don't want two states..."

Chant leader: "We want '48!"

Crowd: "We want '48!"

[...]

Nerdeen Kiswani: "As long as Israel exists, it is a threat to our people. As long as Israel exists, Palestinians will keep dying. As long as Israel exists, we will continue to face injustice. As long as Israel exists, we will continue to protest it, because we know that it is not an actual thing, an actual place, an actual state. It is a time period that we are going through right now, and Palestine was there before it and will be there after it."

[...]

Crowd: "With our spirit and our blood, we will redeem you, oh Palestine!"

[...]

Chant leader: "Support Palestinians and our resistance!"

Crowd: "Support Palestinians and our resistance!"

Chant leader: "Palestine will be free..."

Crowd: "Palestine will be free..."

Chant leader: "By any means necessary!"

Crowd: "By any means necessary!"

[...]

Chant leader: "Every inch of Palestine..."

Crowd: "Every inch of Palestine..."

Chant leader: "Will be decolonized!"

Crowd: "Will be decolonized!"

Chant leader: "Respect our existence..."

Crowd: "Respect our existence..."

Chant leader: "Respect our resistance!"

Crowd: "Respect our resistance!"

[...]

Chant leader: "From New York to Gaza..."

Crowd: "From New York to Gaza..."

Chant leader: "Globalize the Intifada!"

Crowd: "Globalize the Intifada!"

[...]

Chant leader: "When Palestine is under attack..."

Crowd: "When Palestine is under attack..."

Chant leader: "What do we do?"

Crowd: "Stand up, fight back!"

[...]

Chant leader: "There is no god besides Allah..."

Crowd: "There is no god besides Allah..."

Chant leader: "And the martyr is beloved by Allah!"

Crowd: "And the martyr is beloved by Allah!"

[...]

Kiswani: "Palestinian prisoners don't only exist in Palestine, they also exist in the U.S.. The Palestinian movement has been attacked by the U.S. government for years, and there are currently Palestinian prisoners like the Holyland Five Foundation."