Palestinian & Jewish Locals Rally for Ceasefire
Seeren El Jamal '24 speaking at a protest outside Representative Pat Ryan's office in Poughkeepsie on October 25. Credit: Rebekah Hendricks '24
On Oct. 25, protestors took to the Poughkeepsie streets. Around 150 people from all backgrounds marched from Vassar College entrance roundabout to Congressman Pat Ryan’s (D-NY-18) office, reflecting demands of a ceasefire and calling on Ryan to sign onto the “Ceasefire Now Resolution.”
Chants and a variety of signs, reading “We can’t bomb our way to peace,” “Not in Our Name,” “Free Palestine” and more, flooded the streets.
The demonstration began with organizers providing the crowd with chants and directions on safe protest participation. Protest marshal Ali Muhammad of Beacon explains his desire to participate as a marshal and as an ally.
“I’ve organized a lot in the past 11 years. I feel very close to this issue since I grew up with a lot of Muslims and Palestinians,” said Muhammad. “I believe in human rights; I’m a humanitarian, so from organizing events to protests, it made sense to show up to this and give my body.”
As the march began, attendees walked the half-mile with signs and chants to Ryan’s office, where a circular crowd gathered on the steps of 12 Raymond Avenue. Here, community leaders from Jewish and Palestinian communities spoke with remarks from Veterans for Peace, Mid Hudson Valley DSA, Jewish Voice for Peace-Hudson Valley and Seeren El Jamal, who is a Marist student and co-president of the Marist Muslim Student Association.
Protesters listening to remarks outside of Representative Pat Ryans's office in Poughkeepsie on October 25th. Credit: Rebekah Hendricks '24
El Jamal, a Palestinian-American and activist, says in her speech that she had attended the New York City protest earlier in the month with 50,000 in attendance and adds, “Even if one person had shown up here today, that counts. You guys all stopped what you were doing on a busy weekday to show up and to make some noise.”
For El Jamal, this movement is not only about demanding a ceasefire. After her speech, she explained, “We want our people to not live in an open-air prison. We want our right to self-determination as people.” Additionally, El Jamal notes the privilege she feels while also experiencing feelings of anger and grief while advocating for Palestinians amid the violence. To her, “It doesn’t matter how I’m feeling as long as I fulfill what the people of Palestine are asking me to do,” said El Jamal.
In attendance were many of El Jamal’s family from around the Hudson Valley. El Jamal’s cousin, Amar Jamal of New Paltz, stands to the side of the crowd, donning his keffiyeh and the Palestinian flag. As a Palestinian-American, Jamal expresses his obligation to speak out.
“As an Arab and especially as a Palestinian, you feel alone and like the world is against you. You see a big turnout like this; it puts a smile on my face,” said Jamal.
As this protest continued, leaders from both Jewish and Palestinian communities emerged from Ryan’s office to deliver a statement about their meeting with the congressman.
In a video from “A Little Beacon Blog,” Palestinian leader Raz Sadiq-Keyes addresses the crowd, saying she expressed concerns over Ryan’s prior statements on the war.
“We expressed that it was an emergency and don’t wait a month to get back to us. We need an answer immediately,” said Sadiq-Keyes.
Jewish leader Dana Silverman also spoke of Ryan's need to sign onto the ceasefire agreement as his electoral victory hinges on community support. “This is a close race, and if he doesn’t have our support, he will lose,” Silverman reminds the crowd. “So let's fight for him to sign on in support of a ceasefire.”