Activists held banners and waved Palestinian flags on the steps of Dearborn City Hall on May 15 in commemoration of the Nakba, or “Day of Catastrophe,” in Palestine. The creation of Israel led to millions of refugees. Chants of “End the occupation now!” and “Free, free Palestine!” went up from the crowd. Attendees said they were more optimistic this year after recent Arab World revolutions. PHOTO: Nick Meyer/TAAN

DEARBORN – More than 100 activists on the steps of City Hall
rallied in solidarity with others around the world and in Palestine on Sunday,
May 15 to commemorate the 1948 Nakba, or “Day of Catastrophe” in
Palestine, chanting “End the occupation now!” and “Free, free
Palestine” among other slogans.

The event was organized by the Palestine Cultural Office of
Michigan and the American Muslims for Palestine organization and went forward
despite strong winds and rain.

The creation of Israel led to hundreds of thousands of
people being expelled from their homes and estimates of as many as six  to seven million refugees over the
years. Despite the sorrow and problems created in the Arab world resulting from
the Nakba, many of those in attendance on Sunday flew red, green, and black
Palestinian flags with optimism resulting from recent Democratic uprisings in
the Arab world.

“Everybody’s joining the Palestinians from Lebanon to
Syria and Jordan hoping to get our freedom back,” said Palestinian
American Susie Abdel Jalil, who drove from Levitsberg, Ohio.

“The people have been occupied for 63 years and they’re
tired of it.”

Abdel-Jalil’s mother fled Palestine during the 1967 exodus.
She read news reports of refugees being 
killed or wounded for crossing the borders into present-day Israel in
attempts to return to their homes.

“They’re shooting at them for trying to reach homes
that the UN gave them back,” she said. “This shows that Israel
doesn’t want peace…America needs to say something to support them being able
to go back.”

Leading chants of “Down, down dictators,” Hasan
Newash of the Palestine Cultural Office of Michigan spoke of optimism in
Palestine and the Arab world as well.

“We are in better shape today than ever before, the
idols are falling down one by one…we are continuing to spread the Boycott,
Divestment and Sanctions movement around college campuses which is making the
Israelis very nervous, thank you very much, your support has made a
difference,” he said.

Spokesman of the Congress of Arab American Organizations of
Michigan, Osama Siblani, also spoke of persistence paying off.

“We will never stop, we will never forget, Thank God
today is a different day in the Arab world,” he said.

He talked about how protesters rallied three years prior
saying that Egyptian authoritarian President Hosni Mubarak would fall and noted
that the prediction had come true, saying that the Arab world would keep
pushing until freedom is achieved throughout the region including in Palestine.

Wissam Shahrouri, another Palestinian American, also
attended and was glad to see support for those marching around the world.

“Events like these are crucial, it’s time for us to
earn our freedom, enough is enough,” he said.

He said he’s been to the West Bank and has seen the
humiliation and major headaches caused by militarized checkpoints and border
walls as well as Israeli settlers in occupied territories throwing rocks and
causing other violence against Palestinians, bemoaning the lack of coverage by
the mainstream media.

“There’s been too much time wasted, we need to unite,
spread the word, and end the occupation of Palestine now,” he said.