How to resist colonialism and genocide this week
By Ahmad Abuznaid, USCPR Executive Director
As the U.S. prepares for the colonial holiday known as Thanksgiving, followed by the capitalist Black Friday, we must move into this week with hearts rooted in our collective liberation.
Holding space for mourning genocide, for all Palestinian people murdered by Israel and Indigenous people killed on the land where we live on Turtle Island.
Fasting in spiritual solidarity with all colonized people as part of the Global Fast for Gaza.
Resisting state violence and ongoing genocide with our whole hearts and bodies.
I invite you to reckon with settler colonial violence on Thursday. Find out how you can participate in the Stop Gaza Genocide toolkit.
These are sobering times. Every hour, we mourn Palestinians massacred, and the survivors will continue to live through genocide even once the bombs pause. We remember Indigenous activist Tortuguita killed protesting Cop City in Atlanta. We watch our U.S. government normalize the genocide of Indigenous peoples here while enabling another genocide in Gaza.
In such times, we will face hatred and opposition. Our own organization has received violent death threats, as we released a statement today on the arrest of an individual.
But we will not be intimidated. Fear is nothing. We will live boldly into our vision for a liberated future, where the Palestinian people—and all people—are free.
Resist boldly with us. Here’s how you can take action this week.
Observe the National Day of Mourning on Thursday, Nov. 23
The collective struggle of the Indigenous peoples of the United States is directly related to the struggle of the Palestinian people.
Every fourth Thursday of November, Indigenous peoples native to settler colonial states of the U.S. begin the day in silent prayer and ceremony at sunrise, and fast to mourn the genocide violently enacted on them to steal the land they were in stewardship with since time immemorial. Genocide that is still active today as land and water are still abused and stolen.
On this day, let us observe the National Day of Mourning on Thursday, Nov. 23 in resistance of genocide, colonialism, and state violence. You may participate by:
- Fast for the Global Fast for Gaza in spiritual solidarity with all colonized peoples. You may fast from sunrise to sunset, or otherwise in accordance with your community’s practices and traditions. Learn more at solidarityfast.com.
- When you gather with your loved ones, hold space for mourning the mass killing of Indigenous people from Turtle Island to Palestine. Hold a mourning ritual based in your community’s traditions. You may read the names and stories of our beloved people killed by colonial violence (for example, see here).
- Take action to resist genocide, colonialism, and state violence. Together with your loved ones, handwrite personal letters to mail to your members of Congress. You can even include a photo of your family holding a ceasefire sign. Mail them right away to flood their mailboxes. Use these demands:
– A PERMANENT ceasefire now and humanitarian aid entry to Gaza.
– Stop arming Israel and end all U.S. complicity in Israel’s violence.
– Stop the policing project Cop City in Atlanta and demand an end to deforestation and extractive land development for violent systems.
Protest and boycott for Shut It Down for Palestine on Friday, Nov. 24
NO SHOPPING AND NO BUSINESS AS USUAL while our U.S. government and complicit corporations enable genocide!
Take action this Friday to shut it down. Find protests and resources at shutitdown4palestine.org. Plan your own protest with our Strategies to Shut It Down Toolkit.
Keep up the pressure on your elected officials—it’s working
We’re now up to 45 members of Congress calling for a ceasefire, and that number increases every day. Reports say a dissent memo in the State Department was signed by 500 people. Take action using our Stop Gaza Genocide toolkit to call Congress, email Congress, and email the Biden administration. Bookmark it and take action every day.
I believe that we will win, and that we will see a free Palestine. Onward to liberation.
P.S. Read our USCPR statement about the recent violent threats against our organization. We are unintimidated and we’ll keep building toward a liberated future. Onward.
