Pro-Palestinian rally in Seattle marks year of Israeli strikes on Gaza

A crowd of more than 400 gathered at Seattle's waterfront Saturday to mark a full year since the start of the war in Gaza, calling for a ceasefire and an end to US aid to Israel.

At Pier 62, hundreds of people wore kaffiyehs and dozens held up Palestinian flags. Many carried signs bearing poppies — a flower which shares colors with the Palestinian flag — and the names of people killed in the conflict. Speakers urged those in the crowd to keep protesting, drawing on the decadeslong history of Israel's 'occupation' of Palestinian lands and the horrors of the past year. The group then marched through downtown Seattle to the Space Needle.

Ahmad Hamdan, an organizer and member of the Palestinian Youth Movement, said those in attendance want an immediate and permanent ceasefire, as well as an end to the US sending weapons to Israel.

"The American government refuses to listen and instead chooses to cater to corporations and tech giants that are benefiting off this," Hamdan said. "Whether it's Boeing who is profiting off building ... fighter jets to Maersk, a shipping and logistics company sending weapons to Israel. We want to hold them accountable for not listening to their constituents."

The rally marked a year of protests around Seattle since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israeli military bases and border cities, killing more than 1,200 people and taking more than 200 others hostage. Since then, Israel has launched a ground offensive and airstrikes on Gaza, killing more than 40,000 people according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its figures. Israel's attacks have destroyed most of Gaza's hospitals, leading to a major humanitarian crisis and widespread hunger.

More rallies to come

More protests and memorials — both supporting Palestinians and Israel — were scheduled for the coming days in Western Washington.

On Saturday, against the backdrop of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, some speakers also highlighted parallels between Palestinians' cause and other humanitarian ignominies, such as the seizing of Duwamish land where protesters were standing.

Jamie Margolin and her father, Mark, who are Jewish, said they were there to show their support for Palestinian resistance.

"It's been demonized as terrorism," Jamie Margolin said. "Once history has passed, people like to sympathize or say they would have been in solidarity. But for some reason, for a lot of people, because of Western brainwashing, Indigenous people staying on their land is being demonized."

Mark Margolin recalled his own upbringing in a traditional Jewish synagogue, where he said an Israeli flag always hung next to an American flag.

"I learned a lot this year," he said.

He also recalled his visits to Israel and learning about the atrocities of the Holocaust.

"The same thing is happening in Palestine," he said.

Seattle saw large protests in the immediate aftermath of Oct. 7, with people flooding the streets and even shutting down Interstate 5, demanding a ceasefire. Seattle also saw some protests in support of Israel in October 2023.

Both small and large-scale demonstrations have continued — from groups of demonstrators gathering on freeway overpasses, to large events like the recent concert in Seward Park in support of Palestinians.

Hamdan, the Palestinian Youth Movement member, said turnout for protests has fluctuated in the past year. But he said the coverage of the violence, especially social media videos posted by people in Gaza, has mobilized people.

"It really influences and motivates people to want to show up, donate money or do anything to support the Palestinian cause," he said. "I think that's a big thing and that's the reason why people are continuing to show up."