Thousands at D.C. rally denounce Israeli, U.S. policies

Kristoffer A. Garin, The Journal News

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Transcribed from the clipping

“…wearing a ‘Free Palestine’ baseball cap struggled with a sign nearly as big as he was. On his wavering placard was a gruesome photo of a bloody Palestinian infant and the words, ‘Our tax dollars at work.’ Marchers also voiced their opposition to global economic policies, racial profiling and nuclear weapons. Police reported no arrests.

Near the main rally, a small group supporting America’s war on terror staged a counterprotest. In front, a handwritten sign had an arrow pointing to the pro-Palestinian demonstration with the message: ‘Cowards and traitors rally.’ But Alaby called the suicide bombings desperate acts of people who believe the world could not care less about their fate.

‘Those who support the Palestinian struggle generally don’t support suicide bombing,’ she said. ‘But to speak of terrorism in this issue, you have to start with Israeli terrorism.’ The marchers came from all over the country, including at least 200 from Westchester County.

Early in the morning, rest stops along the highways between New York and Washington filled with busloads of expectant marchers. Red- or black-checkered scarves, known as kaffiyehs, were worn by many either as an expression of cultural pride or solidarity with the Palestinians. As the protesters chanted in front of her, Tami Anaya could not muster such hate.

Still tired from an eight-hour bus trip from Buffalo, the former Marine Corps lance corporal and Seattle native sat on the edge of the protest. Just over seven months after losing her brother on Flight 93, which crashed Sept. 11 in Pennsylvania, the 38-year-old painter and photographer cried much of the morning thinking about him.

Although she has reason for revenge, Anaya said she wants peace because too many people have suffered. ‘What happened to my brother woke me up, and I’m not comfortable being passively patriotic,’ she said. ‘I just can’t support terrorizing another human being.’”

Context added by this archive

A jump page; the story begins on 1A, which is not on this clipping. A sister of a Flight 93 passenger is quoted at the end, at the edge of the march.

Cite this clipping

"Thousands at D.C. rally denounce Israeli, U.S. policies," The Journal News, 21 April 2002, p. 1. Covering Palestine archive, CP-2002-009. https://coveringpalestine.org/archive/cp-2002-009