Around 3,000 protesters carrying Palestinian flags and ceasefire signs marched down West End in an organized peace rally calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East on Nov. 11. The march began at 1 p.m. CST before moving to Centennial Park an hour later, where participants gathered on the steps of the Parthenon for a series of speeches.
The march comes one week after hundreds gathered along Elliston Place and West End to similarly call for a ceasefire. The protest was one of several that occurred on Nov. 4 across the U.S., including one in Washington, D.C., that attracted thousands.
Nov. 11 rally
According to rally organizers, the peace rally is part of a series of ongoing demonstrations around the country attempting to turn grassroots efforts into collective action to target local and national political authority. Organizers included members of Nashville’s Palestinian community, Tennesseans for Palestine, the Elmahaba Center and FreePaliNashville.
Organizer Ayesha Khan, who recently moved to Nashville to pursue a two-year fellowship at VUMC, has been leading demonstrations in support of Palestine for 14 years.
“The purpose of the protest is to get community members together to get people to understand that we need to build community power, which has been lacking in Nashville,” Khan said.
In the coming weeks, Khan anticipates more “disruptive, direct action,” such as events that teach community members how different ethnic minorities face social struggles in the United States.
Youth organizer Issam Bahour, a member of Nashville’s Palestinian community, said he thinks Nashville’s current civil and political action is lacking in comparison to other major cities. He also views community organization as a way to combat media bias and Islamophobia.
“People are angry, and rightfully so,” Bahour said. “We’re watching it unfold on social media and hearing first-hand stories from our families and friends overseas, and the U.S. position on it is unacceptable.”
The rally dispersed around 3 p.m. CST, after which members of the Palestinian community engaged in prayer.
Nov. 4 peace protest and traffic blockade
The Nov. 4 peace protest, which began at 1 p.m. CDT, was organized by Veterans for Peace, an organization of veterans and other individuals who oppose war. At around 2:30 p.m. CDT, the protesters moved toward FirstBank Stadium and temporarily blocked traffic on West End before MNPD arrived to guide protesters off the road. Veterans for Peace organizer Jim Wohlgemuth cited the lack of a Nashville marching license as the reason for police involvement, sharing with The Hustler that the rally was initially not meant to involve marching.
Events such as festivals, runs and parades require a permit application to Nashville government which must be submitted at least 24 hours before the event.
Veterans for Peace organizer Jim Wohlgemuth said they originally planned for speakers and conversation, but the protest quickly surpassed expected attendance, rendering the agenda obsolete.
“I was so impressed by the number of non-Palestinian, non-Muslim people who showed up. It was such a wonderfully diverse crowd. I think the people of Nashville need to realize this is an issue that cuts across all of Nashville, not just the Muslim community,” Wohlgemuth said.
“The best thing we can do is call for an immediate ceasefire, get the civilians out of the war zone, first of all, and get all of the wounded across the border, out of the Gaza Strip,” Tom Gross, a planned speaker and volunteer with Veterans for Peace, said.
Protesters also criticized the U.S.’s continuous arms support to Israel, which has received $3.8 billion per year in U.S. military assistance since 2016. The House approved a $14.3 billion military aid package for Israel on Nov. 2. The U.S. has been building a “75-year partnership” based on diplomatic, military and economic ties with Israel since the end of World War II.
“I’m here to support the people of Palestine and support humanity,” Amar Latif Qazi, a second-year Vanderbilt graduate student, said at the protest. “The U.S. government right now is on the other side against the ceasefire. It is providing arms and ammunition to Israel to kill people.”
Junior Serena Tyran, a member of Vanderbilt’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, called the protest an “incredible show of support for Palestine” from the Nashville community.
“Human rights are the top priority,” Tyran said. “All violence is rooted in fear, and I believe that is true both for the oppressor and the oppressed.”
She added that she believes that Vanderbilt administrators and faculty members should do more to contextualize and create awareness for the Vanderbilt community about the development of the conflict.
“Those who have power within the Vanderbilt community should be educating students,” Tyran said. “I think education is the root of all resistance.”
Second-year Peabody graduate student Lorna Fitzpatrick echoed Tyran’s sentiments.
“On campus at the minute, it can feel a bit like you’re on your own,” Fitzpatrick said. “No one’s really speaking, it’s quite tense, but we’re not alone, and there’s real solidarity in this movement.”
Fitzpatrick, an international student from the United Kingdom studying community action and development, said she is “strongly in favor” of a ceasefire.
“The number of people who are dying is staggering,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’ve just become a U.S. taxpayer, and I am horrified that my tax dollars are being sent in order to buy bombs, which are being used on innocent people and Palestine. We need to turn to peaceful negotiation for a solution.”
