A few thousand Detroit and Dearborn residents gathered to rally against Israeli airstrikes and evictions of Palestinians Saturday afternoon. Organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement and endorsed by the Party for Socialism and Liberation – Detroit, protesters of all ages marched through the streets of Dearborn with chants of “Free Palestine!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”
Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags of all sizes, along with many signs with the hashtag “#SaveSheikJarrah.” The group expressed vocal outrage at what they perceived as support for Israel and inaction on behalf of the Biden administration.
Beginning at the Arab American National Museum, the crowd listened to speeches from various organizers and activists calling for the end to American military investment in Israel, through a movement known as Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS).
The group marched, biked, and drove down Michigan Avenue, with many bystanders showing their support as they passed by, sometimes waving flags of their own. When the protest entered the neighborhood streets of Dearborn, some residents stood on their porches expressing support, and others even joined the march.
The protesters blocked westbound traffic, marching down the M-153 highway, and the group halted under a bridge, where organizers hung flags from the overpass.
Ultimately, the group gathered outside the Dearborn Police Department, where organizers voiced their support for the Black Lives Matter movement, drawing connections between Black Americans’ struggle against systemic racism and the push for Palestinian liberation.
As the protesters left the Dearborn Police Department, some planted small Palestinian flags in the grass with the names of Black people killed by police written on them, including those of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
Once the group returned to the Arab American National Museum, organizers gave a few final speeches and ended with a call to action to come out to protest Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center on Tuesday, May 18.
Daily Staff Photographer Jarett Orr can be reached at jaretto@umich.edu.