by Alex Garland
On Saturday, May 11, hundreds gathered in Westlake Park for a rally and march to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, which refers to the displacement of Palestinian people by Zionist settlers, and later the Israeli government and the Israel Defense Forces, during the 1948 Arab—Israeli War.
Speakers at the local event included representatives from multiple organizations, a Jewish grandmother, and an Indigenous spoken-word poet. As they addressed the crowd, approximately 25 activists began painting a mural on the ground at Westlake Park. Outlined with chalk and painted with nontoxic and water-soluble paint, the activist-artists finished a large mural that read from top to bottom, "Remember — Long Live Palestinian Resistance — Return" with a red poppy painted in the center. Activists marched a few blocks and returned to Westlake.
"Nakba" translates to "catastrophe" in English. During the 1948 Arab—Israeli War, more than 750,000 Palestinians were forced to uproot their lives, 500 towns and villages were destroyed or renamed by Israeli settlers, and more than 15,000 Palestinians were killed, Palestinian women raped, and hundreds of homes looted.
Since 1948, Palestinians have been denied the right to travel freely, and for those abroad, the right to return to their homeland. This has led to several of the symbols seen during demonstrations: the watermelon, an artistic response to a ban of colors of the Palestinian flag; and the keffiyeh, a type of traditional Palestinian scarf with black and white patterns of olive leaves, fishing nets, and bold lines for the Silk Road.
There were no arrests or incidents of violence during the event. The mural has been removed by the City of Seattle.
Alex Garland is a photojournalist and reporter. With a degree in emergency administration and disaster planning from the University of North Texas, Alex spent his early professional career as a GIS analyst for FEMA. Follow him on Twitter.
Featured Image: A sign with a watermelon and "Free Palestine" is seen at the 76th Anniversary of the Nakba during a rally at Westlake Park. (Photo: Alex Garland)
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