More than 1,000 people gathered outside the Wisconsin state Capitol on Dec. 9 for the largest pro-Palestine march in the history of Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine.
“We are here today to call for an end to all U.S. aid to Israel and an end to the brutal Israeli occupation of Palestine,” Madison poet laureate Angela Trudell Vasquez announced to the demonstrators.
The event was organized by the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine, a coalition representing over 50 Wisconsin-based organizations that formed in early October in response to the Israel-Hamas war, according to the group’s Instagram. Member organizations include the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition, Jewish Voice for Peace-Milwaukee and UW Students for Justice in Palestine.
The demonstration took place a day after the U.S. blocked a United Nations resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
Since the group’s formation, the Coalition has arranged several demonstrations in protest of the war in Palestine in both Madison and Milwaukee. The group said Saturday’s protest was their largest event to date.
“We cannot lose our momentum,” the Coalition posted on Instagram before the protest. “The tides are turning. We will get a permanent ceasefire and free Palestine.”
The demonstration began at 12:30 p.m. with tables for each member organization set up around the Capitol. The organizations invited protesters to visit their tables to learn about the different ways they are supporting Palestine.
Protesters gathered around the Capitol’s steps holding banners that read slogans such as “healthcare workers against genocide” and “revolutionary socialists for a free Palestine.’ Several Wisconsin poets spoke on the violence in Gaza.
“We are here in unity to demand a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and a permanent lifting of the brutal, savage siege of Gaza,” said Vasquez, one of the speakers.
As the speeches continued, organizers moved higher up the Capitol steps, eventually speaking at the front of the building.
Speeches were followed by a march around the Capitol building as protesters raised Palestinian flags and banners. Several demonstrators led a series of chants, including, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Several protesters displayed photos of the conflict, including images of injured children. Other protesters held signs reprimanding the U.S. for their involvement in Israel.
“They are not forgotten,” said Vasquez.
Maggie Zale is a senior staff writer at The Daily Cardinal.
