Gaza protesters march to South Station
About 150 people protesting the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza marched through the Seaport to South Station on Monday morning before dispersing, according to police and social media posts.
The protesters gathered near the entrance to the Marine Industrial Park around 8 a.m. and began walking up Summer Street, followed by a barrier of Boston police officers on bicycles and cruisers with flashing lights. At the intersection of Summer Street and Drydock Avenue, the protestors blocked a line of cars, causing a traffic jam, and many drivers took U-turns to avoid the street.
The protestors arrived at South Station around 9:40 a.m., according to police and social media posts.
The protest ended and participants were urged to disperse, with many entering the MBTA’s Red Line station while others scattered throughout downtown Boston. No arrests were reported, police said.
Police briefly shut down streets near the industrial park Monday morning around 8 a.m. but reopened them once protestors left the area.
The demonstrators, a sea of red, white, and green, chanted, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” while waving two large Palestinian flags and holding signs such as “You block aid trucks, we block your trucks.”
The marchers, many wearing keffiyeh scarves, also held signs that read, “No justice, no peace,” “GAZA MUST LIVE,” “Victory to the Resistance,” and “Hey Biden this is genocide.”
At South Station, protestors put their signs away and stopped chanting. Robin Chadwell, 25, of Western Massachusetts, said the protest is “our duty.”
“We’re here because Israel is illegally settling on Palestinians’ land and are committing genocide,” Chadwell said. “It’s our duty to oppose the military-industrial complex. While babies are dying, the rich are getting richer.”
A protestor, who declined to give his name, said, “daily violations of human rights only seem to matter when against specific people and not Palestinians.”
This is “day 150” of houses demolished and people dying, he said.
“As someone with direct family [in Gaza] this hits harder to me than most,” he said.
A 23-year-old Northeastern University student, who declined to be named, said the protests are to “speak out against ongoing genocide.”
“Because a lot of media has a vested financial interest in supporting Israel, it’s extra important we get to the street and in front of people’s faces,” he said.