August 7, 2014

Tens of thousands of people from around the United States joined together in front of the White House to protest the horrifying violence in Gaza. Both MPAC's Washington, DC office and Western New York chapter (MPAC-WNY) were proud to stand in solidarity with so many other diverse people demanding human rights for Palestinians at the national rally.

Many were shuttled into Washington, DC from New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and other major American cities. Co-sponsors included the ANSWER Coalition, American Muslims for Palestine, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the American Muslim Alliance, and Code Pink among others.

The streets were plastered with signs and images of children killed in the conflict, as well as flags and peaceful messages in countless languages. Following speeches by sponsors, protestors rallied for change and for the suspension of American funds to Israel. The protest culminated in a march on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House.

Alexandra Ben Othman, a board member of MPAC Western-New York City, co-organized a bus through the Islamic Center at New York University (ICNYU) to attend.

"This rally was unlike any rally I've ever been to before," said Ben Othman. "Fourteen buses came from New York alone, along with several others that came from Florida, Ohio, and other parts of the country, not to mention the thousands of people who took other forms of public transportation.”

She also noted that the media hardly covered the massive event, which she felt reflected a bias in news coverage.

We must take this opportunity to speak out as people continue to exercise their first amendment rights in these troubling times. Not only are we fighting for important causes impacting American Muslims and Muslims abroad, but we are shedding light on these often underrepresented and misrepresented conflicts.