New York to host first US mass march against starvation in Gaza

More than 100 different organisations are set to take part in a mass demonstration calling for an end to Gaza’s hunger crisis on August 16th in New York, as reported by The New Arab on August 11th.

The event will begin at 2pm at Bryant Park on the steps of the New York Public Library and is branded by organisers as an “emergency mass march,” due to the heightened concern over Israel’s actions in Gaza, with Netanyahu saying on August 7th that he wants his country to gain the entire control over Gaza.

Walter Smolarek, the media coordinator for ANSWER Coalition told The New Arab: “I think this demonstration is motivated by a sense of crisis and outrage that people are feeling around the world over the mass starvation crisis in Gaza.” He also added: “The extreme nature of the starvation crisis is motivating people who haven’t protested in the past.”

Protesters also plan to highlight accusations that the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has weaponised aid delivery, putting Palestinian civilians at risk.

A statement by ANSWER coalition on their website reads: “Trump has green lit this Israeli starvation regime, while the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has weaponised hunger instead of ending it. Now, reports show the United States is working with Israel to tie future aid to Israeli plans for full occupation.”

The event is expected to draw participants from across the country, as buses are being organised in multiple cities to bring activists to the event. Organisers say that despite the fact that small daily protests have taken place across the US, the event will be the first mass protest in the United States focused specifically on the starvation Palestinians face in the enclave.

Code Pink said in a statement: “People from across the country will take to the streets in massive numbers in NYC to show the world that the people of the United States will not allow this starvation to be waged in our name.”

The New Arab, Maghrebi.org