Overview:
Hundreds gathered in Fresno to show their support for the Palestinian community and express their feelings over the conflict in Gaza.
Amidst the trees of Eaton Plaza Park, a crowd of people encircled a podium, with flags in the back slowly fluttering in the breeze. Fresnans of all ages and backgrounds donned themselves in black, white, green and red. Many wore keffiyehs, traditional scarves often used to represent Palestinian solidarity.
On Dec. 8, the Palestinian flag was raised, fluttering in the wind over Eaton Plaza in downtown Fresno. Hundreds gathered to show their support for the Palestinian community and express their feelings over the conflict in Gaza.
The crowd chanted “Free, Free, Free Palestine” in unison.
The flag raising, a collaboration between the Palestine Freedom Project and community leaders, was a direct response to the Oct. 12 flag raising of the Israeli flag in the same park.
Yasir Amireh, a member of the Palestine Freedom Project who helped organize the event, said it was time to unite community members and dissuade division. Amireh took time to wish Happy Hanukkah to his friends and the Jewish community in Fresno.
“Thank you, everyone. This is the first time in my life that I feel that I have an identity,” said a teary-eyed Amireh after the Palestinian flag was raised to the singing of the national anthem of Palestine.
“This is a significant moment in our history as residents of the Central Valley and would not have happened without your support, protesting, educating people, going to speak at City Hall, visiting with and calling members of the state, government and Congress, rallying around candidates who bring change to the status quo,” Amireh added.
Layla Darwish, a member of the Palestine Freedom Project, spoke about seeing the community rally in support of the flag-raising.
“It makes me feel very proud, and it makes me feel validated and included. For the first time ever, I feel like I’ve been heard and listened to,” she said in an interview. “Before, people wouldn’t even know what Palestine was when asking about my ethnicity. Today, everyone will know what Palestine is.”
‘It makes me feel very proud’
Zeina Rousan, a community member who spoke at the event, expressed her pride in seeing the Palestinian flag be raised.
“It’s an indescribable feeling,” Rousan said. “This whole event feels like you have people around you who are feeling what you’re feeling. You just feel supported, and it motivates me to continue fighting for justice.”
Councilmember Miguel Arias, who helped organize the event, spoke in support of the Palestinian community.
“This year alone, our city has raised the flag of Armenia, Mexico, Juneteenth, the LGBTQ community, Ukraine, Israel, and now the Palestinian flag,” Arias said. “We raised these flags as a symbol that the city of Fresno loves all of us; this is a place for everyone.”
Arias also stressed the need for unity among the communities of Fresno.
“My God does not make a distinction between the loss of Jewish life and the loss of an innocent Palestinian life and neither should our city,” Arias said, followed by an eruption of applause.
“In the city of Fresno, we love our Palestinian community as much as we love our Jewish or Ukrainian, or Armenian or Latino or our Hmong community,” Arias added. “We are all God’s children and deserve to live free of occupation and free of terrorist attacks.”
Mayor Jerry Dyer, who spearheaded the Oct. 12 Israeli flag ceremony, was not present at the Palestinian flag raising.
The Fresno mayor has faced criticism in the weeks and months since he raised the Israeli flag during a contentious ceremony – in which he lashed out at pro-Palestine protesters – but didn’t get behind efforts to fly the Palestinian flag.
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