Fort Collins, CO – About 30 community members marched through downtown Fort Collins on October 7 to demand a free Palestine and an end to the U.S.-backed, Israeli genocide in Gaza. Organized by Fort Collins Against War (FCAW), the march and vigil were part of a nationwide day of action called by the Anti-War Action Network marking the third anniversary of Operation al-Aqsa Flood.
The action began at Oak Street Plaza with speeches and chants before participants marched toward Old Town Square. There, Hatem Teirelbar, a member of Denver Anti-War Action, led a moment of silence and read the names of some of the Palestinian children killed in the ongoing genocide.
As the march passed through Old Town Square, chants like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” and “From Palestine to Mexico, these border walls have got to go!” reverberated off the walls of Old Town Square. Other chants throughout the march connected the Palestinian resistance to other conflicts in the Middle East.
From Old Town Square, the march continued to Fort Collins City Hall, where participants chalked messages including “Long live Palestine” and “Keep my taxes out of Israel!”
At city hall, FCAW organizer David Stakelin told the crowd, “We understand that the forces of imperialism that continue to oppress and kill people in places like Palestine are the same forces that oppress and exploit people here.”
Stakelin highlighted the importance of sustaining the anti-war movement with action, saying, “Now is the time to let our government know that we will not sit by while it funds massacres overseas. Now is the time to join an organization, resist oppression, and forge a world where human life is valued above profit and empire.”
Throughout the action, FCAW tabled at Oak Street Plaza, providing community members with an opportunity to learn more about the organization and its work on local campaign building.
Stakelin closed the by saying, “When we finally see a free Palestine, the world will remember the Palestinian people as people who resisted. October 7, 2023, woke up millions of people around the world to the reality of Zionism, occupation and imperialism. We must stay awake. We must continue to organize and resist. And we must continue fighting until Palestine is free.”
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