DEARBORN/DETROIT — Rallies in support of International Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day are held locally and throughout the Middle East and the world each year on the last Friday of Ramadan and have been since 1979, but this year’s version in Dearborn on Friday, August 26 had a different twist.

A first-ever auto rally featuring signs, banners, and flags in support of Palestinian freedom from occupiers helped raise awareness from downtown Detroit to the Wayne State area (Midtown) and back to Dearborn as a long line of cars circled for more than two hours. 

Rally participants met at Hemlock Park before heading downtown in a line of cars decked out with paint in Palestine’s national colors of red, green, and black before hopping onto I-94 and heading downtown. 

Many Detroit onlookers waved and flashed peace signs to the convoy of about 225 cars, a turnout that was about three times larger than organizers from Dearborn’s Al Quds Committee expected. 

“The auto rally was a new concept we used to raise more awareness for a cause that is a universal cause,” said Syed Naqi of the committee. “It especially matters a lot to Muslims; the injustices in Palestine perpetrated by Zionist oppressors is the most important situation to raise awareness about.” 

Ali Ali, another organizer, said he agreed as he helped prepare for the drive downtown. 

“It is time for us all to wake up and take a stand against global Zionism and global hegemony and aggression regardless of your race, religion or creed; today it’s the Palestinians and tomorrow it could be someone else who is a victim.” 

Ali F. Beydoun, the president of the Arab American Student Union at Wayne State University, was among those who participated in the auto rally. Beydoun waved at pedestrians and shouted slogans such as “Free, free Palestine!” as he rode around town. 

He said that the high turnout showed that awareness for the cause is rising. 

“The fact that a lot of students and youth came out today is a testament to our new generation; the youth really knows what’s going on and they want to be involved.

“The auto rally was a great idea because it’s giving us a chance to reach a lot of new people.”