‘Gaza is not for sale’ – protests across US against Trump

People across the US took to the streets over the weekend to protest President Donald Trump’s proposal for expelling Palestinians from Gaza as well as his deportations of migrants, crackdown on the LGBTQ+ community and dismantling of federal government agencies.

From coast to coast, protesters marched through the streets on Saturday holding signs in English, Spanish and Arabic reading: Gaza is not for Sale, No Fascist Police State, and Musk Must Go.

This week’s protesters are in response to Trump’s suggestion earlier this month for Palestinians to be displaced from Gaza and to turn the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East” after it is taken over by the US. Many believe his proposal for Gaza is also a green light for an escalation of attacks on the West Bank.

“The people are taking to the streets this week to say that Gaza is not for sale, and that any attempt to sell the Palestinian territory for profit to the oil industry or the real estate industry will not happen,” Rami Abdelkarim, a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement, told The New Arab, shortly after demonstrators marched through downtown San Francisco.

“The relationship the Palestinian people have to the land is something that people in the West will never understand,” he added.

“He is threatening the displacement of the Palestinian people, while also not heeding a single campaign promise, like delivering low-cost groceries to the American people,” Abdelkarim said.

Crowds also demonstrated against Trump’s orders to send tens of thousands of migrants to detention at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, his reversal of LGBTQ+ protections, and handover of critical government departments to his campaign megadonor Elon Musk.

Since Trump’s inauguration, less than a month ago, Americans have seen the price of eggs skyrocket, if they’re fortunate enough to find shelves that aren’t empty. Government healthcare websites and services have been removed. Tens of thousands of government employees have been dismissed without notice.

“We encourage everyone to join our movement, because what we’re doing is for collective liberation. It’s not isolated. It’s not just for Palestinians. It’s for everybody that has been oppressed. And the American people deserve more, the working class deserves more,” Dina Saadeh, a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement, told TNA. 

The demonstrations took place as Asian communities in US cities celebrated the Lunar New Year, with demonstrators distributing pamphlets to tourists lining the streets for the festivities. 

Further demonstrations are planned in the coming weeks as a growing number of US officials appear to be supporting Trump’s proposal for Gaza while Israel carries out more attacks in the West Bank; and as Trump continues to order migrant deportations and mass government layoffs.