Damayan Joined Various Mobilizations to Call for Freedom for Palestine
Damayan joined various mobilizations in NYC organized by The People’s Forum and ANSWER (Act Now to Stop the War and End Racism) to call for freedom for Palestine, genocide to stop, and an immediate ceasefire—not just a truce— in Gaza. We stand with the people around the world demanding for humanitarian ceasefire now, to stop the collective punishment and the slaughter of unarmed Palestinians--- 14,000 Palestinian, more than 4,000 of whom are children (Al Jazeera, “Israel-Gaza war in maps and charts: Live tracker”). We support unconditional entry of critical humanitarian aid, release of political prisoners and hostages, end of the brutal Israeli occupation and the Right of Return of the Palestinian people.
Participating in the weekly massive rallies and marches in NYC, Damayan, supports the campaign for BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions). At the largest pro Palestine rally in the US, “National March on Washington,” on November 4th in DC, Damayan mobilized its staff, members, and allies. Impacted by her experience at the rally, Fei, a Filipino nanny and a labor trafficking survivor shared, “Dapat tayo ay magsama-sama upang maging isang boses, at dapat nating igiit ang internasyonal na batas at diyalogo tungo sa isang makatarungan at pangmatagalang resolusyon para sa kapayapaan. Iyan ang paraan upang ang mga bata sa Gaza ay makita ang kinabukasan na walang labanan at walang poot, isang buhay na may kapayapaan at pantay na mga mamamayan.” (We must come together to become one voice, and we must push for international laws (on war) and dialogue towards a just resolution (of the war) to have peace. That is a way that the children in Gaza will see the future they deserve—a future without armed conflict, without hatred, and a life of peace and equal people).
In the streets, Damayan shouts, ‘“From Palestine to the Philippines, Stop The U.S. War Machine!” to highlight that the Filipino people is part of the global struggle against US imperialism and militarism that is arming Israel in a genocidal campaign against the Palestinians.
The US deliberately under develops the Philippine economy and fuels the forced migration and family separation of migrant Filipino workers. In 2019, there were 2.2 million Filipino migrants around the world (PSA: “Total Number of OFWs Estimated at 2.2 Million”). Majority of OFW’s/ migrant worker are women domestic workers who fall into wage-theft and/or labor trafficking.
Like Fei, Damayan will fight for a world where Palestinians, Filipinos and other oppressed people not only survive but thrive with freedom, peace and justice--