PORTLAND, Ore. — Labor unions plan to rally for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war Saturday, with the groups calling for an end to the killings of Palestinian civilians.
“This is a genocide; nearly 1.5 million people have been displaced, so the first and immediate step we can take is a ceasefire," said Olivia Katbi, an organizer for the Portland Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. "The next step we need to take is to stop sending military funding to Israel; they are using American missiles and American weapons."
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Meanwhile on Thursday, Portland Police reports that officers arrested six pro-Palestinian protesters for trespassing and vandalism.
The arrests followed a rally outside the World Trade Center in Downtown Portland, where about 100 Reed College students and others rallied in support of Palestinians. A Palestinian speaker and others talked to the crowd about the heartbreak that families have experienced.
PPB said that many participants chose to leave after being informed they were trespassing on private property. Some protesters broke a set of glass doors and sprayed pro-Palestinian graffiti on windows, walls and the ground inside the WTC, according to PPB. Four of the six protesters have been charged with criminal mischief and criminal trespass.
Katbi, angered by videos and photos of Palestinian civilian deaths in the aftermath of the Hamas terrorist attacks, said, “The images we’re seeing come out of Gaza are horrific, and people aren’t stupid. We see what’s happening, and we know our tax dollars are funding this.
"It’s just common sense to stand up and say, 'Not in my name. Enough is enough.'”
The DSA event on Saturday, set for 1 p.m. in Southeast Portland at Sewallcrest Park, is co-sponsored by various union and labor organizations.
These groups include the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP), New Seasons Labor Union, the Parkrose Faculty Association, Jobs with Justice, Veterans for Peace, CAIR Oregon, PSU Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights (SUPER), Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Portland, and University of Oregon Students for Justice in Palestine.