Report on "Vigil for Peace" 

May 23, 2004 / Kansas City, Missouri - Around 130 people, including about 90 men, women and children from Kansas City’s Muslim community, gathered outside Beth Shalom Synagogue in response to a visit by Israeli Ambassador Daniel Ayalon. Ambassador Ayalon took part in a rally to support Israel, and was joined by many local elected officials. Scheduled to appear at the rally were Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Senator Sam Brownback, U.S. Senator Jim Talent, U.S. Representative Karen McCarthy, and U.S. Representative Dennis Moore, among others. Given the recent atrocities in the Rafah refugee camp, and the constant killing of thousands of Palestinian and Israeli civilians, Citizens for Justice in the Middle East (CJME) joined with the Islamic Society and members of the Tikkun Community and Brit Tzedek to demand support for the Palestinians as well.

We had planned to start at around 3:00 pm, however members of the Muslim community arrived as early as 2:15 and began to picket, and by 2:45 we had quite the crowed. The Kansas City Police were generally respectful, and only prevented us from standing on any synagogue property, including the sidewalk in front of it, and hassled a few protesters trying to attend the rally in the synagogue or attempting to get to their cars parked in the synagogue’s parking lot. Everyone remained calm and non-confrontational, even when faced with negative and hostile traffic.

We carried signs and banners with slogans like “Stop Killing Children”, “End the Occupation”, “Choose Peace”, and “Peace for Israel means Justice for Palestine”. Some chanted things like “Free Free Palestine”, while others remained silent and mournful. Around 20 participants wore all black in mourning for those dead on both sides, and one brought a black coffin-like box with three Palestinian flags and one Israeli flag, to represent the proportions killed since 2000.

Around 4:00 pm, after over an hour of protesting, we gathered under a nearby tree to listen to a few speakers, including CJME President Matt Quinn who spoke about CJME and our reasons for this rally, Islamic Society spokesperson Haroun Alhambra who called for more pressure on American officials to support Palestine and end Israel’s brutal and illegal occupation, and International Solidarity Movement member Joe Carr who discussed the history of protest in Palestine, Israel, and the U.S. and called for frequent American outcry.
 

Vigil at JC Nichols Fountain Addresses Occupation of Iraq and Israel

May 23, 2004 / Kansas City, Missouri - Some decided to continue the protest until the Israel rally was ended at 5:00 pm, while others went down to the JC Nichols Fountain for the weekly vigil and rally against the US occupation of Iraq, and the current Israeli siege in Rafah. Around 100 protesters held signs, played drums, and waved at passersby, many of whom honked their horns in support. A little after 5:00 pm, we had a rally with two speakers, Nancy Carry, and Joe Carr. Nancy spoke for the Kansas City Iraq Task Force (www.kciraqtaskforce.org) on the reasons for opposing the US occupation of Iraq, and demanded the US withdraw immediately. She quoted several knowledgeable analysis’s including Noam Chomsky and Phyllis Bennis, who also call for a full US withdrawal.

Joe, who’d lived for four months in Rafah, Palestine last year, spoke about Rafah and current Israeli atrocities there. He also spoke about the major Israeli protests, and called for more Americans to protest, and linked the US occupation of Iraq and the Israeli occupation of Palestine as being both about American militarism and imperialism, which should be opposed in all its forms.

It was quite a spirited day of protest. No hot sun or busy graduation Sunday could keep us off the streets, where we will remain until peace and justice prevails. Thanks to all those who stood with us, and we look forward to standing together again.