NYC solidarity for the democracy struggle
By
NEW YORK--A group of 20 to 30 protesters, including many hailing from Syria and Yemen, assembled in Times Square on April 3 in order to sound the call for an end to dictatorship, tyranny and oppression in North Africa and the Middle East.
The protesters got the attention of numerous passersby on the New York City streets. Their chants in both Arabic and English reflected the two main goals of the rally: To show people in North Africa and the Middle East that their families and friends abroad are in unwavering support of their struggle, and to inform American audiences of the atrocities occurring under these oppressive regimes.
The depth of the solidarity demonstrated at the rally was clear. From men to women, older to younger, even a small child, people from diverse backgrounds expressed their hopes for the progress of the movement.
Whatever their individual countries of origin, protesters proudly proclaimed their solidarity with struggles in countries of North Africa and the Middle East--Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, Bahrain and others--as one united whole. As one speaker said, "What unites us today is not religion, not ethnicity, not gender. What unites us today is our humanity--our desire for justice, peace and freedom."
One of the speakers at the rally, Yusef Khalil of the International Socialist Organization, highlighted the significance of the inspirational victories in Egypt and Tunisia. "It is very important that demonstrations like this are happening in New York City," he said. "Arabs, Muslims and those who look like us face a lot of racism in New York as a result of the backlash since September 11th.
"However, after the revolution in Egypt, people have begun to respect us. The rebellions and successful revolutions in Tunis and Egypt represented the people's demand for dignity, and freedom from oppression and exploitation. Their demands were not just 'Arab' demands or 'Muslim' demands or 'North African' demands, but instead were universal demands. These are demands that the entire world population--except for the super rich, and massive corporations--can identify with."
