Past Actions

We first gathered at the home of Representative Hakeem Jeffries where our crowd of about 300 pointed our fingers up at Jeffries’ apartment and cried “Shame!” Chants kept us spirited and educated the passersby.

The rally began with Etan Mabourakh of NIAC (National Iranian American Council) who detailed Jeffries’ and Schumer’s grave responsibility in the Gaza genocide, and the importance of ending the carnage and supporting the Palestinian right to self-determination. Eman Rashid, a Palestinian-American nature educator and Brooklyn resident of 20 years, described how she and her sister barely survived an Israeli settler attack as youths. Since then, the brutality on her native village has drastically escalated. Susan Braverman, the daughter of a Jewish Holocaust survivor, shared her pain at seeing misguided Zionist Jews level Nazi-like brutality on Palestinians. Millard “Mitty” Owens, son of the late Congressman Major Owens, a champion of Black-Jewish relations, decried the squandering of billions of dollars urgently needed in our communities and called for us to connect the dots regarding the brazen intensification of white supremacy and American imperialism around the globe.

Fueled by the day’s great weather and the tunes and rhythms from the social justice musical group “Rude Mechanical Orchestra,” we marched up Washington Avenue, continuing along Eastern Parkway to Grand Army Plaza, attracting attention and picking up more supporters along the way. We again evoked the message of accountability and responsibility by pointing to Senator Schumer’s residence — and yelling “Shame.”  

At march’s end, Eman Rashid shared some beautiful Palestinian resistance songs. To close, Rabbi Andy Kahn, Executive Director of the American Council for Judaism and a leader with Rabbis for Ceasefire gave a moving address, claiming unequivocally that Zionists and their supporters, like Chuck Schumer, are violating core Jewish values. Rabbi Kahn called on all Jews to fulfill the higher principles of Jewish compassion and social justice — embodied in the notion of “tikkun olam” — and to be in solidarity with our Palestinian sisters and brothers, and all who fight for peace and freedom.

The central message of the day’s events was for Democratic leaders Schumer and Jeffries to stand with their constituents, who overwhelmingly support a legitimate ceasefire in Gaza, and not with the interests of the Israeli war lobby — which, largely through AIPAC (the American Israel Political Action Committee) has “contributed” nearly $2 Million to each of their election campaign war chests.

Again, thank you for your support. Please know that we will continue with actions — for which we invite your participation — aimed at demanding that Schumer and Jeffries:

● Recognize the State of Palestine

● Oppose ethnic cleansing and illegal settlements

● Block weapons transfers to Israel in accordance with U.S. law

● Restore funding for UNRWA and guarantee uninterrupted humanitarian aid

● Reject escalation and war with Iran

● Support a real, lasting ceasefire

● Reject AIPAC ● Move The Money from war to our communities

The November 8th March Endorsers consist of a broad coalition of community and peace organizations — Palestinian Youth Movement • The People’s Forum • Equality for Flatbush • Park Slope Food Coop Members for Palestine • The American Council for Judaism • Veterans for Peace NYC Chapter 34 • Peace Action Bay Ridge • Move The Money NYC • Veterans for Peace NYC Chapter 34 •  Brooklyn Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East • NYC War Resisters League • Peace Action Staten Island • Pax Christi USA New York State • New York Progressive Action Network (NYPAN) •  NYC Jewish Elders • NY-10 Neighbors •  DAWN MENA •  DSA Anti-War Working Group

Dozens of Brooklyn voters gathered at Fort Greene's Fowler Square on Fulton Street. While collecting signatures on petitions, others handed out flyers to passersby as people gathered to begin a protest march.

 Anger has been boiling up in the Congressional district represented by Hakeem Jeffries, the powerful Democratic Leader in the House. 

Jeffries has strongly supported Israel in its war of slaughter and starvation siege it has been caryying against the people of Gaza. 

The assembled group marched from Fowler Square, several blocks to Jeffries' office in the state office building on Hanson Place where they gathered, chanted and listened to various speakers who demanded that the Ccongressperson drop his support of Israel's genocide and represent his voters who overwhelmingly want and end to the slaughter, a cease fire and end to Israel's starvation siege. 

Pledging to continue their campaign, shots of "Vote him out" rang through the street as the protest ended. 

The protest was NY8 Neighbors for a Gaza Ceasefire and was co-sponsored by Brooklyn For Peace, Peace Action of NYS, World Can't Wait and NIAC (National Iranian American Council).