 My name's Ashley Smith. I'm a member of the Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation Palestinian land day was established in 1976 to as to oppose Israel's confiscation of Palestinian land It is a day of unity and solidarity in the struggle of Palestinians to reclaim their stolen homeland from the river to the sea We rally today to oppose Israel's genocidal war on Palestine it is preparing its final assault on Rafa Israel has already killed 32,000 people it's wounded 75,000 people it's leveled most of Gaza and it is its siege on Gaza is now triggering a Famine that may kill as many as one million people Its assault on Rafa will complete the ethnic cleansing of Gaza The US has supported Israel every step of the way in this genocide But our opposition to it has forced genocide Joe Biden to cry crocodile tears over civilian casualties The US just abstained in in UN Security Council resolution mandating a ceasefire Do not fall for Their words or symbolic acts at the UN judge them by their deeds Biden just approved Billions of dollars of military aid including f-35s and giant 2,000 pound bombs that have laid waste to all of Gaza and this is in preparation for the final assault on Rafa but The world's people are not falling for Biden's rhetoric his trickery and his deceitful moves at the United Nations The majority of the world's people oppose Israel's genocidal war And so now people here in the u.s. Also oppose Israel's war an astonishing 55% of people in the u.s. Now oppose the war that Israel is carrying out And Among Democrats Biden's so-called base 75% of Democrats oppose Israel's war Our global movement in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance has changed the climate of consciousness in our city in our state And in our country Biden and his henchmen cannot go anywhere without facing protest When genocide Jill Biden came to Norwich, Vermont to bag cash from a millionaire She was met with protests in the streets of Norwich We will protest and disrupt any politician anywhere that supports Israel's genocidal war Our struggle is disrupting the status quo in our city state and our and our towns across Vermont While Burlington City's council voted against the ceasefire and blocked our apartheid free referendum from appearing on the ballot 14 towns past ceasefire resolutions on town meeting day Here in Burlington our struggle drove pro-war Zionist mayor Miro Weinberger out of office And we defeated his pro-war Zionist heir apparent Joan Shannon and We threw her campaign manager pro-war Zionist Hannah King out of the city council a New day is dawning in Burlington We demand that the new mayor Emma Mulvaney Stainack and the new city council Immediately pass a resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire to Israel's genocidal war And we demand that they put our apartheid free referendum on the ballot Now is the time for Burlington to catch up with progressive cities and 14 towns across Vermont to oppose this genocidal war and To make sure we back up those demands with power today We are launching our campaign for apartheid free communities We want all organizations all faith groups all high school student organizations all College organizations all unions to adopt the apartheid free pledge today You can get leaflets from the Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation at our table right there It is time to up the ante to turn up the heat We will not relent until Palestine is free from the river to the sea Long live Palestine free free Palestine Long live Palestine Next up we have my co-MC Damian give him a big cheer What's up imagine this a Trotskyist and a tanky up here MC in the same venue Yeah, that's a unity and struggle for you folks And this is what democracy looks like it's not a two-party imperialist system That is bringing us into endless wars and we stand here on Historical homeland of indigenous people and we honor the rich history as the traditional and ongoing stewards of these lands And we know that this land is unseated We're also in an unprecedented moment in world history and here in the United States We're at the heart of global imperialism This system of capitalism and imperialism is directly responsible for the oppression Genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people The Palestinian resistance is confronting the greatest imperial power the world has ever seen They are heroes to humanity Our brothers and sisters in Palestine stand as the vanguard in the world's fight against imperialism Clearly and nothing should ever overshadow their struggle In fact, it is our historical responsibility to not let their great sacrifice be in vain as Sacrifice for not only their liberation, but the liberation of humanity As a whole because we know no one is free until we are all free We rally in March today to the man ceasefire now Stop Israel's genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians Provide unrestricted humanitarian aid to all Palestinians Free all Palestinian prisoners and hostages Defend the civil rights of Palestinians and Palestine solidarity activists Stop all USA to Israel Enforce boycott divestment and sanctions against Israel And Israel siege occupation and apartheid system and Support Palestinians right to self-determination right to return and equal rights. That's what anybody would want for themselves I know it's true for me and it's true for all of y'all Let's do this Just a few announcements before we start our speakers First a key announcement. This is the first time the Vermont coalition for Palestinian Liberation has called a statewide day of action. We have our rally in March today here in Burlington We have one in Montpelier and we have one in Brattleboro And we have an all-day educational for a free Palestine at the Vermont law school We are growing expanding and shaping the politics of this entire state So a few announcement First we want to thank the people's kitchen which is setting up over there and Freed and his whole crew will be providing everybody Delicious meals and beverages so big cheer for the people's kitchen. I said as I said earlier We want everybody to get flyers to launch the apartheid free community campaign today and Also all these rallies all across the state cost money So we encourage everybody to give generously to our donation buckets which are at the table and we'll be going through the crowd Two other announcements We want everybody who's not yet a member of the Vermont coalition for Palestinian Liberation to join us and to join our next meeting at Barry at the unit in Barry at the Universalist Church on Sunday April 7th at 1 p.m. You can get information also at the coalition table Finally, we are bringing our campaign to free Vermont from the shackles of Zionism to the state house of our state Anthony Apadokka will be giving an educational lecture to legislators and the community on April 12th at 3 p.m In the Vermont State House cafeteria This is a very important opportunity for our push inside the state house for boycott Divestment and sanctions of all of state funds from the apartheid state of Israel Next up we have Alyssa Chen from Education Justice Coalition My my fault it's Dana Dana from JVP sorry We had a couple things get switched up at the last second my apologies Dana, please Hey, everyone My name is Dana, and I'm here with Jewish voice for peace We're here on Palestinian land day as anti Zionist Jews in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle to reclaim stolen land Zionism is a racist ideology that privileges Jewish lives and does not align with our Jewish values White supremacy is at the root of many forms of injustice including anti Arab racism Islamophobia anti black racism and anti Semitism It is undeniable that Israel is committing genocide ethnic cleansing and apartheid and as Jewish anti Zionists we choose to stand against that Here in the US. We also live on stolen land and in a deeply segregated society We live in a country founded by genocide and with a long history of collaboration with violent and corrupt regimes The collaboration between the US police in Israel the deadly exchange Further militarizes our police fueling racist violence and mass incarceration Palestinians also experience mass incarceration by the state of Israel Including thousands held indefinitely and without charge in administrative detention and Even those who are free from jail are still forced to live under Israeli occupation and apartheid We are not stopping until everyone is truly free We fight for a world where no one is separated from their families it is because of those values that we focus on ending the root cause of the current violence is Israel's decades-long apartheid system of discrimination Dispossession and overwhelming violence against Palestinians The context of 75 years of land theft occupation and apartheid is still glaringly missing from the mainstream conversation as Is our own government's role in funding this oppression sending over three point eight billion dollars to the Israeli military every year as American citizens it is our moral obligation to work to end our government support for the Israeli government and We are organizing here as American Jews for an apartheid free Vermont Let's be clear. This is not an anti-Semitic demand and it does not threaten our safety as Jews Israel is an apartheid state and therefore we have an obligation to boycott We will not let the state of Israel define our Judaism and we do not believe in a version of safety That requires the dispossession and destruction of another group of people We support the apartheid free communities campaign and continue to call on all of our elected officials in City councils in the State House and the White House to call for a ceasefire Divest from genocide and invest in life-sustaining policy invest in humanity We will not stop until all of us are free free Palestine. Thank you Give it up for Dana Money for jobs and education not for war and occupation money for jobs and education Money for jobs and education Money for jobs and education Next up we have matter Merrick Broderick who replaced the pro-war Zionist Hannah King and is part of changing the city council here in Burlington to make it take a stand Against apartheid and put put ceasefire on the agenda right away for the city council. Give it up for Merrick My name is Merrick Broderick. I'm a member of the Champlain Valley Democratic Socialists of America and Burlington City Council elect We as a coalition of unions activists and politicians Demand in and for our tax dollars fueling genocide and apartheid in Palestine in the past year we have seen the backsliding of democracy in Burlington exemplified by the unprecedented step to block the apartheid free ballot measure after the gathering of over 1,600 signatures This decision where our leaders decided that they know better than the people who elected them was fueled by reactionary sentiment against a desire for our city to take a stand against apartheid if you think that the denial of people's Right to vote on what our city stands for and does will stop at Palestine then you have not been paying attention As we've seen in the past year the previous government has struck and down Proposals for ballot items pertaining to police oversight and stronger climate action It will not stop at Palestine and it has not stopped at Palestine It is the responsibility of our elected in leaders to fight for democracy and take a clear stance against militarism and apartheid If we are to truly put people over politics We must embrace the liberation of all people from Palestine to right here in Burlington Solidarity Up next we got two Cousins from Palestine worry of Dispossession is one that we Palestinians have been experiencing since before 1948 and one that continues to this day in 1948 my tata was eight years old living in Aqa a city in the north of Palestine that according to the UN partition plan was to Remain part of the Palestinian state. However, my family was dispossessed of their land Aqa was surrounded by Zionist militias in early 1948 Fearing for their lives my tata's family fled Aqa to Lebanon seeking safety leaving their home belongings and land behind They believed that once hostilities ended they would be able to return home Military operations ceased and my tata and her family tried to return to their home, but were prevented from doing so Their home their belongings and their land were stolen from them It has been 76 years and they still have not been allowed to return home As Palestinians we have a strong connection and bond to our land our land is coveted, but we are not desired to stay Today the same sequence of events that happened to my family is happening to families in Gaza They are being driven out of their homes their cities their land They were first told to move south for their safety so many of them did then further south to Rafa So they did and now they were being told to go to Egypt facing the same dilemma that has played out countless times throughout our history Palestinians in Rafa know that should they move into Egypt they may never return to their homes their cities their land Palestine ever again and our connection to our land is so strong so powerful so Significant that my people would rather stay and risk dying on their land then become refugees again and again and again And the words of my uncle Mahmood Darwish We have on this earth what makes life worth living on this earth the lady of earth mother of all beginnings and ends She was called Palestine her name later became Palestine my lady because you are my lady. I deserve life My sit-doh loves figs specifically the ones from her village in Palestine She told me that the figs were like no other When she was just a little girl she would look forward to fig season when all the women would gather to harvest the figs Dry them and even turn them into jam My sit-doh was just 18 years old when the neck that happened Everything she knew and had was left behind when she was forcibly removed from her home She's witnessed things that nobody should ever have to see She told me that the figs from other regions don't taste the same That Palestinian figs are one of a kind She's 90 years old and still cries because she will never get to eat those figs again or return home My heart aches as I think about my brothers and sisters in Gaza who are being violently displaced ethnically cleansed and slaughtered I Think about all of the other children who will grow up missing the taste of figs from the motherland The children who will search for figs that remind them of Palestine, but none of them ever being satisfying because there's no place like home There's an irreplaceable bond when our roots run so deep in a land where the displaced not only mourn the separation But the fig trees cry as well The fig is not just a fig The fig is everything Palestinians forcefully had to give up and sacrifice. I Don't want another Palestinian child to grow up only to spend their whole lives searching for the right fig This is why we must keep fighting until Palestine is free Today on land day. I want each and every one of you to think of the Palestinian cause as your own When we talk about the Palestinian cause Being the cause of everyone we often talk about death We talk about how our oppression is interconnected How the bombs that fall on Gaza are made here how the police batons that brutalize us here are the same ones that brutalized worshipers in al-Aqsa We talk about how the same system of settler Colonialism that committed genocide here is now committing genocide in Palestine And we talk about how our cause is the same because of our killers are the same But we are united by more than our killers. We are united by life We are united by our humanity our hope in our future. I Want you all to take a moment and close your eyes and think of the people in Palestine Picture them not as victims But as your sisters and brothers as your mothers and your fathers Picture the children returning to their land and tasting the figs those children or your children Their life is yours. Their future is yours Picture the Palestinian cause as your own because it is Feel it in your heart and fight for it for as long as it takes. Thank you From the river to the sea Palestine will be free from the river to the sea From the river to the sea From the river to the sea From the river to the sea From the river to the sea Next up we have Wafeek Fawor from Vermoners for Justice in Palestine Wafeek told me yesterday Just a few days ago that the last last year's land day had 12 people at it throughout the entire state of Vermont Today We are hundreds all across the state of Vermont rallying for a free Palestine Organizing for a ceasefire now and demanding that our state become apartheid free and implement boycott divestment and sanctions against this genocidal regime in Israel Please give it up for Wafeek Fawor Salam alaikum. It is fitting to remember a leader a Socialist a nationalist leader Taufik Zayad the mayor of a Nasra Nazareth who called in 1976 March 30th a full strike Against the Israeli occupation taking over another 48,000 of Dunams calling it Military land so they will build later on it more key put says and more settlements and to remember this man and To remember the day where six Palestinian get killed 49 injured and hundreds and hundreds Get arrested a lot of Palestinian houses including Taufik Zayad of a Nasra get burned It is more fitting to remember his poetry Unadi Come Unadi Come I should do a lot. I had a come What I boost all of the tahten I'll come what I call of the come Unadi Come I'm a hantu fee what I mean Well, ah, sir. I thought of me What I've to be job, but she's a lot me a team and I'm happy Hamlet to the me I like a fee We're not cast a lot me What's on tool? I should be come. I should do I like a deacon. I Offer you the light of my eyes eyes the fire of my heart for this pain that I suffer is only a small part of your pain. I never have sold my country and I have been willing to serve to face the invader with a steadfastness and courage and orphan willing to die. Carrying my people on my shoulders you will see my flag raised high and I'm out in a cloth in the green of the olive branch for those who will come after. I call to you, this is by Taufik Zayad. Personally I wonder and I want to say a personal thought. These days I'm always thinking how can I sleep? How could of how can I eat? Every time I take a sip of water how can I do it? How dare I do it when my people cannot do that? In a moment I want to ask you how did we come to a moment like this? Who are we as American people, as people at this moment of time? How can we tolerate a country dropped by parachutes 2,600 meals to the Palestinian killing 12 among them and on the afternoon send and shipping more bombs to kill the same people they fed in the morning. How's that? Where's our responsibility? If you tell me you cannot do anything about it I don't believe it. How can we tolerate that? At the same time every time we talk we say the word Palestine for justice, peace. Not peace on the American lexicon it means the quiet. It's Palestinian peace and we can tell you what does it mean. Self-determination for the Palestinian people if the American government and the Israeli like it or not. We're getting there. What's happening here it is unisex of America and Israel are one and the same and both of them they feel that they lost. Yes 33,000 Palestinians get killed and 7,000 are missing but we won the war of the public opinion and we won the war to gain our justice our self determination. So we ask you again to come again and to help us. On this building they are fighting us not to adopt apartheid free community. I'll tell you why because on here we're living an apartheid system against our sisters and brothers of a black and brown community LGBT community and many ethnic groups and the people of disability because two apartheid system two system built in genocide and ethnic cleansing. They tolerate each others and they stand with each others because they are one and the same. So we ask you again to adopt apartheid free community within your work in place as workers as a union. We ask you in the education system and in the school to adopt apartheid free community. Otherwise we are feeding the racism that many people are living for that free Palestine. Hey, ho, ho Israeli apartheid's got to go. Hey, hey, ho, ho Israeli apartheid's got to go. Hey, hey, ho, ho Israeli apartheid's got to go. Hey, hey, ho, ho Israeli apartheid's got to go. Hey, hey, ho, ho Israeli apartheid's got to go. All right, are you ready to march? Okay, it's going to take us a couple of minutes to get everything assembled. First, we need volunteers for incredible Palestine liberation drum crew. This is our rhythm section. If you got rhythm, be a part of it. Also, we've got flags, banners, placards here at the front. If you want to carry a sign or a banner, please come and get that. Also, we're asking people with disabilities to lead the march today. So please assemble at the blue thing right over there. Please, people with disabilities assemble at the blue thing as we get our contingent together. This will be the lead banner. So once that set up, we'll get, we'll get our march started. We are going to be marching past Becca balance headquarters. We are going to be marching past Bernie Sanders headquarters. We are going to be marching past Peter Welch's headquarters. And we are going to escalate our demands of that congressional delegation that they end all us aid to Israel now, and we want them to push for a permanent and immediate ceasefire to Israel's war on Gaza. What do we want? Seize fire. When do we want it? What do we want? When do we want it? What do we want? When do we want it? What do we want? When do we want it? What do we want? When do we want it? What do we want? When do we want it? What do we want? When do we want it? Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation, money for jobs and education, money for jobs and education, money for jobs and education, money for jobs and education, money for jobs and education, money for jobs and education. Okay, if everybody wants to move down behind our banner, we'll get our marks started, move to the right or to your straight ahead towards the sunshine, I guess is the easiest thing to say. Resistance is justified when people are occupied. Resistance is justified. Resistance is justified. Resistance is justified. Resistance is justified. Resistance is justified. Okay, we charge you with genocide. We charge you with genocide. Genocide. We charge you with genocide. We charge you with genocide. We charge you with genocide. We charge you with genocide. We charge you with genocide. Resistance is justified. When people are occupied, resistance is justified. When people are occupied, Resistance is justified when people are occupied. Resistance is justified when people are occupied. What do we want? When do we want it? What do we want? When do we want it? When do we want it? When do we want it? Everybody wants to flow in. We have a performer, and then three speakers, and then it's a wrap. But let's keep chanting while they set up. Wes, what's a chant? Alyssa Chen, if you want to come to the front. Introduce Lillian. OK. Do you want to introduce her? Please give it up for Lillian Smith, who will be performing The Great Mandela. This is so appropriate. Our struggle is just like the South African struggle against apartheid. We are going to dismantle Israeli apartheid, just like we dismantled South African apartheid. Brick by brick, wall by wall. Israeli apartheid will fall. Give it up for Lillian. Hey, folks. Sorry, I was a little bit caught on the wires. Shut his mouth and do his job like a man. And he answered, listen, father, I will not. He can't put the held hands. He think he's doing to his father who will the jail of bread and water today. He is fasting till the killing is over. He's a martyr. He thinks he's a prophet. But he's a coward. He's just playing a game. He can't win this. He can't change it. It's been going on for 10,000 years. The words are important in this song. Tell the people they are safe now. Hunger stopped him. He lies still in his cell. Death has gagged his accusations. We are free now. We can hate now. We can kill. Thanks so much, Lillian. I remember in the 1980s marching against South African apartheid. Lots of us didn't know if South African apartheid would fall in our lifetimes. And then just a decade later, South African apartheid fell. Why? Because the Black South African trade unions struck and shut down the South African economy. Because people all around the world impose boycotts, divestment, and sanctions on apartheid South Africa. We are going to do the same thing until Palestine is free from the river to the sea. And I remember during that struggle that musicians were right at the heart of the struggle. There were concerts for a free South Africa, all around the world. We protested just a week and a half ago against higher ground, sponsoring and hosting a racist singer, Madis Yahu, who supports the genocide. We are calling on all artistic institutions, all performers, all bands, to adopt the apartheid-free community's pledge. We want our cultural institutions to stand against apartheid full stop, no genocide in our name, in our cultural institutions. I look forward to the day when indoors everywhere, our institutions will be apartheid free. But until then, we will have performers like Lillian perform proudly against apartheid. And this spring, we are going to be sponsoring a concert for a free Palestine. If you know musicians, we want musicians, bands, performers to play for a free Palestine, just like they played for a free South Africa. Next up, we have Alyssa and Kayla from the Education Justice Coalition. Please give it up for Alyssa and Kayla. Representing the Education Justice Coalition of Vermont. Today, we will share how Israel is destroying the education system in Gaza and how students standing up in Vermont are giving us hope for a way forward in devastating times. In mid-February, according to Scholars Against the War, Israel had bombed all of Gaza's 11 universities since October 7th. This means 90,000 Palestinian students are unable to continue their university education. Around 370 secondary schools have been damaged or destroyed. This leaves 620,000 students out of schools. Eight dedicated libraries and four university libraries have also been damaged or destroyed. Palestinian professor at Oxford University, Karma Nabusi coined the term scholasticide to explain the mass and systemic description of an education system. To quote Nabusi, the role and power of education in an occupied society is enormous. Education posits possibilities, opens horizons, freedom of thought contrasts sharply with the apartheid wall, the shackling checkpoints, the choking prisons, she said. Now in Gaza, she says, we see the policy more clearly than ever. This scholasticide, the Israelis know nothing about who we really are while we study them and study them. But deep down, they know how important education is to the Palestinian tradition and the Palestinian revolution. They cannot abide by it and have to destroy it. When educators, peers, and social media provide youth the truth about what is happening in Palestine, they too see a world of future possibility. Just as Palestinians during the original land day in 1976 organized mass general strikes, youth in Vermont have been organizing school walkouts to say no more to genocide in Gaza and to call for an end to the occupation. Last week, dozens of students of Vermont walked out of schools in Winooski, Maupilir, Hartford. More students will walk out next week to call one student, Finley, who helped organize the protest in Maupilir High School. We are walking out today to protest the way the US has funded this genocide, the way Vermont has participated in that funding, and to tell the school that we can handle these hard conversations. We learn from having hard conversations. This should not be a political or religious issue. It is a human rights issue. Over 30,000 murdered civilians is a human rights issue. Three men shot in Burlington for wearing kefias is a human rights issue. Our school should be able to criticize murder without worrying about how it will look. We can end that murder and genocide without it being hateful. I do this in solidarity with the struggle of Palestinians. None of us are free until all of us are free, Finley. This week, the Education and Justice Coalition of Vermont will sign the Apartheid Free Communities Pledge. We call on students, educators, and community members to organize their schools, universities, libraries, and other educational groups' institutions to sign on to the Apartheid Free Communities Pledge as a commitment to collective liberation for all people and an active solidarity with Palestine. Thank you. When Palestine is under attack, what do we do? When Palestine is under attack, what do we do? That's right. We're going to lean into this Apartheid Free Communities thing, you guys. From the moment we're born to the moment we die, they've turned everything into a commodity. We're going to use that against them. We're going to use our purchasing power and our solidarity with one another and with the movement for liberation in Palestine to say that if you don't stand with us, we don't roll with you anymore. Next up, we've got Joe Cain, diselected city counselor. My name is Joe Cain, and I'm the new city counselor for this ward. There's something special about my result, too, because I'm a longstanding and outspoken anti-Zionist activist, and I'm unapologetic about my activism on this issue. I actually was wearing this kafia in the pictures that were taken for my campaign materials. Zionists slandered me for being anti-Semitic, and I still won more than two-thirds of the vote. My involvement in this movement was not a liability in the eyes of my constituents, despite this Zionist propaganda. Incoming Ward 8 counselor, Merrick Broderick, spoke earlier and said the same thing, that his being outspoken on the issue was not a hindrance and, in fact, helped put him over the top. None of this was a given. The tides are turning. I can also tell you that our new mayor, Emma Mulvaney Stanek, stood tall during public and private conversations on this issue, and while I'm not a great political mind, I remember the February 15th debate at UVM, where half the questions were about Palestine, feeling like a real turning point in the mayoral race, a mayoral race that almost everyone thought was Jones to lose. Vermonters for justice in Palestine laid the groundwork for anti-Zionist activist success in electoral politics. I collected signatures for the Apartheid Free Communities campaign since before October 7th, and I can tell you that people were just as enthusiastic to sign before the current crisis, as the average voter was already well aware of the conditions in Palestine and the role of our government in maintaining those conditions. The anti-Zionist movement has grown significantly since late last year, and if we play our cards right, our political demands that include a ceasefire resolution, divestment, and respect for ballot items process will succeed. What does playing our cards right look like? Let me start with the recent success story. Last Monday, the city council passed the neighborhood code zoning reform, concluding a nearly year-long process, and according to our Zionist outgoing mayor, an activist group may well have changed the result. That group is Vermonters for people-oriented places, a group of mostly younger folks, mostly renters, and a similar-sized organization to the Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation. This group self-organized to show up in mass when there were opportunities for public feedback, and who in the meantime were proactive, reaching out to counselors, collected signatures, did research, and even developed an FAQ, pushing back on the most common points of NIMBY, not in my backyard, anti-zoning folks. This activist group genuinely tried to engage those with different views on the issue, sought compromise, knock doors in certain neighborhoods in the city where there was relatively strong opposition, and moderated their tone effectively enough to get counselors to read through long 15 to 20 page email attachments explaining their position. Ultimately last Monday, about 30 people spoke in favor of the zoning reform, and about 30 people spoke against, and the city council adopted the zoning reform. While the Zionists are more formidable opposition than the NIMBYs, and while there is less room for compromise on this issue relative to zoning, this coalition is doing all the right things. We have the Progressive Party and Lockstep on Palestinian Solidarity. We have a mass mobilization network that at this point can easily turn out far more speakers at public comment than are permitted to speak. We have educational events which are a good start for bringing more people into the fold. We have anti-Zionist Jewish leadership, including Dana who spoke earlier, from the relatively new and growing Jewish voice for peace chapter that are finally starting to get press coverage. I view the seven days coverage of the March 14th protest at higher ground that Ashley just referenced as a potential turning point after almost a year of behind the scenes pushing to get local media to simply acknowledge that anti-Zionist Jews exist. I understand our local JVP chapter is also making efforts to engage in dialogue with membership of at least one local synagogue that has Zionist leadership. This coalition inspired me to run for office and clearly continues to do good work. There are a lot of steps the city could take to combat Zionism, including a ceasefire resolution, getting Zionist propaganda out of schools, an apartheid free community pledge, and an effort to materially divest city assets. My request to all of you is to keep holding local elected officials accountable, to provide emotional support for one another when it's easy to be cynical, and to take initiative with policy development. For instance, a focus group to research what divestment of city assets would actually look like is no small task. There are also indirect steps we can take towards achieving our demands, such as trying to implement democratic process reform, such as strengthening the neighborhood planning assemblies, pursuing a direct democracy ballot item, and working to publicly fund local elections, all of which will set the stage for progress on this issue. There's a lot to be encouraged about, and I can't wait to collaborate and amplify your voices in solidarity while in office. Thank you all. Give it up for Joe King. I think what Joe said is so important because for years, the Zionists said that support and solidarity with Palestine is unpopular. If you speak out for Palestine, you will lose. We showed that support for Palestine is a majority supported question. People who spoke out for Palestine won in local elections. We know this town is overwhelmingly inside the Democratic Party and in the Progressive Party. We know that 75% of Democrats and probably 99.9% of progressives stand against this genocidal war. We are the majority and we are gonna win. And the way we're gonna do that is by building power. We need organizations to adopt the apartheid-free community pledge. Every school group, every union, every political organization, every campus, because then when we go to the Zionist politicians, even when they're the majority in the city council and the legislature, we can say, look, we're the majority. If you respect democracy, you will obey the will of the popular majority. And if you don't, we've got the power not only to kick you out of office, but to strike and shut things down for a free Palestine. That's why unions being for Palestine is so important in the United States today. We know the longshore workers unions shut down the ports of LA to stop Israeli ships. That's power. We know that the United Auto Workers came out for an immediate ceasefire. They just struck and won a strike against the big three auto companies. Imagine the UAW having a solidarity strike for Palestine. We have to dream big. That's how we've won everything in the history of this country, is popular power, union power and shutting things down until we win. So with that in mind, I want to introduce our last speaker, Antonio Golan from Labor for Palestine. Give it up for Antonio. What do we want? When do we want it? What do we want? When do we want it? All right, thank you. My name is Antonio Golan. I'm here speaking today on behalf of Labor for Palestine, a group within the coalition made up of workers and union members that seek to use organized labor as a vehicle for Palestinian solidarity. Speaking on labor, I would be remiss if I didn't invite you all to congratulate the UVM graduate workers who this week voted, yes sir, who this week voted overwhelmingly to unionize their workplace. Whether it's on UVM campus, here in Burlington or around the country, the union movement, the labor movement is on the rise. There is support for unions and unionization that we haven't seen in this country for years, for decades, dare I say generations. I'm 46 years old, I've never seen such a positive landscape for unions in this country. I see this as an important opportunity. For one, we can use the Palestinian struggle to shape our unions, to shape our attitudes, to shape our union values. The Palestinian struggle has the potential to ignite and activate a union membership that for decades has been somewhat dormant and alienated by union bosses and union leadership. Unions, I think, are also privileged organizations in the Palestinian struggle. As has been stated before here today, without US support, Israel simply cannot carry out what it is doing. And that goes for the support from the US government, but it goes also for support from corporations and companies. And unions and union membership has the power to actually undermine the support of corporations and companies for the Israeli settler project. So the thing I wanna leave you here today is to consider your workplaces as important sites for the Palestinian struggle to do the work that needs to be done. And to take those initial steps, those important steps, in having your workplace support the apartheid three communities pledge, it is something that seems small and local, but has the potential to transform this movement. Thank you. A apartheid free community. A apartheid free community. Palestine has lifted torch. It's time for us to pick it up, use it to burn this evil system down. Those who support Zionism, Israel, and US imperialism are on notice. The perpetrators of this genocide and occupation have names and faces and millions around the world stand against them. The movement for Palestine has never been stronger, but with this strength comes an immense responsibility. This moment demands that we strengthen our bonds, strategies, tactics, and unity for the struggles ahead. We must collectively assess the situation and map out the next phase of our fight. This is why we invite you to join us for the People's Conference for Palestine in Detroit, May 24th through the 26th. We're assembling as organizations, collectives, movement leaders, community members, students, intellectuals, artists, and activists to unite, strategize, and fortify our ranks for the relentless battle towards the liberation of Palestine. Through panels, workshops, exhibitions, and cultural performances, this conference will be an opportunity to come together and build upon this critical juncture and our struggle through education and advancing popular consciousness. It's about bringing us all together, the veterans and the newcomers for the long haul to liberate Palestine and fight against the U.S. Empire. A mass movement is critical, but without organization and collaboration, it's only a matter of time before we lose it. Check out the website, People's ConferenceforPalestine.org for more info, and let's try and get as many people from Vermont send a delegation there that stand for Palestine together in Detroit. I just wanna leave you with one quote real quick from Che, I envy you, you North Americans, you're very lucky, you are fighting the most important fight of all, you live in the belly of the beast. Keep this spirit in your hearts, comrades. We have had and will continue to have a long and difficult struggle, but those of us in the Imperial Corps are in a highly strategic position to topple U.S. hegemony. It is our duty to fight, and it is our duty to win. Generations more will live poor, butchered half lives if we fail to act. Never forget that, keep organizing and fighting. There are billions of souls. The victims of United States imperialism, billions around the world, are waiting for you and I to take action. Onward in struggle, Free Palestine. Thanks Damien, just a couple of announcements before we have our concluding performer who will be Meg Bonet, who will be leading us in the great anthem of the trade union movement, Solidarity Forever. First, a couple of announcements. If you have not joined the Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation, you can do so at thevermontcpl.org website. So go there, sign up, and then just a couple of announcements and we'll hear from Meg. Remember, the most important next step that everybody can take is to get your organization, union, business, student group, whatever it is, to sign the apartheid free pledge, get the flyer at the information table. Also donate generously so that we can put on more actions like this and the upcoming concert for a free Palestine. Join us at the next coalition meeting and bury at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Sunday, April 7th at 1 p.m. You can get more information at the coalition table. And finally, as I announced earlier, Anthony Apadaka will be giving a lecture to school the legislators about apartheid on divestment on April 12th at 3 p.m. in the Vermont State House cafeteria. Before Meg comes up, I think we just need to realize the moment of emergency and what we are called to do in this moment of emergency. A genocide is happening today in Gaza. There is ethnic cleansing of Gaza being planned, funded, armed and politically supported by the Biden administration. We have a responsibility in a long struggle, but also in this emergency to rally every single person we know to take a stand. People remembered the Nazi Holocaust and everybody said, how could it happen? It's happening again. We must all stand together for a free Palestine to end this genocide and to liberate the entire Middle East from US imperialism so that people of the Middle East can be free and rule themselves and control their resources democratically for the benefit of them all. We are called, join the struggle, join the Vermont coalition for Palestinian liberation and fight for a free Palestine. So please give a warm welcome to Meg Bonet to sing Solidarity Forever, a classic anthem of the trade union movement and should be an anthem of the Palestine Liberation struggle. Please give it up for Meg. Like Ashley said, collective liberation only exists with collective responsibility and we all have it and let's use it and it's all sing together. Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, for the union makes us strong. Union's inspiration from the workers' blood shall run the back and be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun. Yeah, one fourth of the earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one and is there all we hold in common with that greedy parasite who can lash us in to serve them and crush us with some might and is there any left thing left to do is to organize and fight and then they're hoarded in gold uh oh, in our hands we hold the power greater than they're hoarded in gold greater than their mighty armies he can bring to birth a new world from the ashes of the over the union makes us strong. Palestine, give it up for Meg. If you know any band, any performer we need people who will play for a free Palestine. We are gonna rock this town, rock this state, rock this world until Palestine is free. See you at the next meeting, see you at the next rally.