Black Lives Matter Paterson Statement of Solidarity with People of Palestine

May 10th, 2021

Black Lives Matter Paterson condemns the ongoing violence against Palestinians in East Jerusalem by the state of Israel and stands in solidarity with those fighting occupation. We as an organization believe in the freedom to worship and a life free from fear of expulsion and violence. The scenes coming out of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, where Israeli soldiers are using excessive force against Palestinian worshippers, harkens to our struggle against a repressive state apparatus. BLM Paterson also condemns the current situation in the Sheikh Jarrah enclave where Israeli settlers are forcibly evicting residents from their ancestral homes.

Our deep roots of solidarity are part of a rich tradition of mutual support and exchange between Palestine and US-based liberation movements, from the Black Panthers to the most recent communication between activists in Gaza and Ferguson, MO. Our struggles are connected in many ways, not least because the same Israeli forces forcibly expelling the original inhabitants of Sheikh Jarrah train repressive police forces around the world, including the US.

We stand together with our Muslim brothers and sisters during the holy month of Ramadan and demand that Senator Cory Booker, Senator Robert Menendez, our 12 US Representatives from New Jersey, and the Biden Administration join us in condemning these senseless acts of violence and work to end the state of Israel’s campaign of terror against the Palestinian people. We demand that the 3.9 billion dollars in US aid earmarked for Israel be diverted to help the victims of violence being perpetrated against the Palestinian people. The People United will never be defeated!