Newark Activists Plan Pro-Palestine Rally: ‘MLK Would Agree’

NEWARK, NJ — Newark activists are invoking the name of one of America’s greatest civil rights leaders – Martin Luther King Jr. – as they continue to push for a ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine war.

The Newark-based People’s Organization for Progress (POP) will be holding their annual march to commemorate King’s assassination on Thursday, April 4. It will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Statue, 495 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Participants will march from the King statue to the Peter Rodino Federal Building and back for a rally.

This year, activists with the group – including U.S. Senate candidate Lawrence Hamm – are using the annual march as a chance to spotlight the ongoing war in the Middle East, dubbing this year’s effort as the “Martin Luther King March For A Ceasefire In Gaza And Justice For The Palestinians.”

What does the iconic civil rights leader have in common with the war between Israel and Hamas? His assassination, for one, which took place 56 years ago, Hamm said.

“King was in Memphis to lend his support to striking sanitation workers,” said the longtime Essex County activist, who serves as chair of the POP. “Many believe that [he] was assassinated because of his demands for an end to poverty and racial inequality – and his opposition to the war in Vietnam.”

“We decided to make the theme of this year’s march the demand for a ceasefire in Gaza and justice for the Palestinians because we firmly believe that if Martin Luther King were alive, he would vigorously oppose the genocidal war in Gaza, just as he opposed the war in Vietnam,” he added.

Hamm said that in addition to demanding a ceasefire, demonstrators will also be calling for President Joe Biden and Congress to stop using taxpayer dollars to support the war.

“We are marching to demand the immediate and unrestricted flow of all humanitarian aid into Gaza and the resumption of U.S. funding to The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). And we demand an immediate halt of all U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel,” Hamm said.

“In addition, we are calling for the release of all hostages – those held by both Hamas and Israel,” he said.

Thursday’s march will also draw attention to “genocide and oppression” taking place in African countries including Congo and Sudan, Hamm said.

“We could not have a march like this without discussing the dire crisis in Haiti, our Caribbean neighbor,” he added.

“We will discuss the role western imperialist powers, including the United States, have played in these countries that has contributed to their current crises,” Hamm continued. “We will discuss how what is happening over there is related to what is happening over here, and why and how we must express solidarity with the people in those countries.”

According to a statement from the POP, other organizations that have endorsed the march include If Not Now New Jersey, Jewish Voice for Peace Northern New Jersey, Reconstructing Economics for African Love (REFAL), Ceasefire Now NJ, PAL-Awada (Palestine Assembly for Liberation- Palestine Right to Return Coalition), West Orange for Humanity, National Action Network - South Jersey, Ironbound Community Corporation, Showing Up for Racial Justice-New Jersey (SURJ), Teaneck Peace and Justice Vigil, and American Muslims for Palestine - NJ (AMP NJ).

ISRAEL-PALESTINE WAR

Casualties and suffering have been heavy for Palestinians and Israelis alike as war continues to rage in the Middle East.

More than 1,200 Israelis were killed after Hamas launched a coordinated attack on Oct. 7, including civilians and children. Dozens of the deceased are U.S. residents, including some from New Jersey. It’s estimated that nearly 250 Israeli soldiers and civilians were also seized by Hamas and taken into Gaza as hostages – where an estimated 130 of them still remain.

• See Related: 'Beautiful Boy' From North Jersey Killed In Israel-Palestine Fighting, Family Says

Meanwhile, the death toll from Palestinian authorities stands at more than 30,000 people who have been killed in Gaza due to Israel's retaliatory air strikes and ground invasion –including thousands of children and civilians. Israel has cut off water and electricity in Gaza, raising an outcry from advocates and several humanitarian organizations. Widespread famine and medicine shortages are causing even more misery.

According to Newark-based advocacy group CAIR-NJ, an estimated 3,000 family members of Palestinian residents in New Jersey have been killed in the fighting and ensuing crisis.

• See Related: Israeli Forces Kill 10 Relatives Of NJ School Board Member

Protests and vigils continue to be held by pro-Israel and pro-Palestine supporters across New Jersey, where opinions about the war remain starkly divided.

• See Related: West Orange To Verona: Students Hold Pro-Palestine Walkout
• See Related: Thousands Demonstrate In NJ Town In Response To Hamas Attacks
• See Related: 'Criticizing Israel Doesn't Make You Antisemitic,' NJ Activists Say
• See Related: Israel-Hamas: Vigil In Montclair Demands Release Of Hostages
• See Related: There Is No 'Ban' On Pro-Palestine Books In Newark Schools, Board Says

Others have called for a renewed focus on the human cost of the war, pointing to a tragic civilian death toll that continues to rise.

• Read More: Israel-Hamas: How To Talk To Your Kids, Practice Self-Care
• Read More: Show Compassion For Israeli And Palestinian Families, NJ School Official Says

NJ GOVERNOR CALLS FOR CEASEFIRE

Debate over the war and the ongoing fear it is inspiring in New Jersey – among both the Jewish and Muslim communities – spurred a call for an “immediate and sustained ceasefire” from Gov. Phil Murphy on March 27.

“The holy month of Ramadan is a time of reflection and rejuvenation for Muslims around the world, including many of our fellow New Jerseyans,” he said. “This year, however, it arrives at a time of deep pain and despair, not only for our Muslim, Arab American, and Palestinian American neighbors, but for all of us who are watching the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”

“Over the past six months, tens of thousands of innocent civilians have died as a result of this conflict, and at this very moment, hundreds of thousands more people – especially women and children – are at dire risk of starvation,” Murphy continued. “Here in New Jersey, one of the most diverse states in America and home to one of the largest Palestinian American communities, we know there are many families mourning the loss of innocent loved ones who have died in Gaza due to this conflict. I want these families to know that we grieve with them – and that we share in their pain and heartbreak.”

“In that spirit, today, I am adding my voice in support of the Biden Administration’s efforts to secure an immediate and sustained ceasefire by all parties that includes the release of the remaining hostages being held by Hamas,” the governor said. “Such an agreement will allow desperately needed humanitarian aid – food, water, medical supplies, and more – to flow into Gaza, saving potentially thousands of lives.”

However, Murphy added a caveat:

“At the same time, the international community must also stand united in demanding the dismantling of Hamas, a terrorist organization that murdered over 1,200 innocent individuals and kidnapped over 200 hostages – including one of New Jersey’s very own, Edan Alexander of Tenafly – on October 7th in a brutal, premeditated terrorist attack. For this reason, it is abundantly clear that as long as Hamas remains in power, it is impossible to imagine long-term peace in the region.”

“But at this pivotal juncture, we must recognize that the current course of conflict is taking too great of a toll,” the governor continued. “A ceasefire by all parties will end immediate hostilities, help pave the way for meaningful stability in the region, and set us on a path to a two-state solution, which will ensure long-term peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire Middle East.”

Murphy's attempt to straddle the line between both points of view didn't play well with either side, however.

CAIR-NJ pointed out that the governor’s statement came in the wake of several Muslim and Palestinian groups’ calls for a boycott of the Murphy administration’s anticipated Ramadan iftar.

“While we welcome any call for a ceasefire in Gaza that will save thousands of people, the governor’s statement is nearly six months and several thousand Palestinian bodies late,” the group said.

“The governor’s words also deflect from the root cause of violence in Gaza and continue to play a role in the anti-Muslim bigotry we see by shifting blame,” CAIR-NJ added. “To call Israel’s war on Gaza a ‘humanitarian crisis’ is to erase history. This is not a natural disaster; it is a genocide with a government to hold accountable.”

The Clifton-based Palestinian American Community Center took a similar stance on the governor’s statement, writing that “calls to stop the current hostilities alone are not enough.”

“New Jersey is home to a large and vibrant Palestinian population,” the group recently wrote. “Our community is in mourning as we bear witness to the mass murder of our friends and family, and our elected officials’ lack of empathy and support towards our community has been made painfully evident to us.”

Murphy’s call for a ceasefire didn’t sit so well with some pro-Israel supporters, such as the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ – which recently got a salute in Trenton from the governor and several state lawmakers for their decades of community work. See Related: Jewish Federation In NJ Gets Centennial Salute From Lawmakers

Dov Ben-Shimon, executive vice president and CEO of the federation, said Murphy’s statement was “very troubling and misguided.”

Ben-Shimon wrote:

“While we appreciate his condemning Hamas and acknowledging the urgent need to bring all the hostages home, we find his announcement completely tone-deaf. Since October 7th, the Jewish community in New Jersey has been under siege due to the 400% rise in antisemitism in our schools, universities, and municipalities. In his statement, he mentions ensuring long-term peace and security for Israelis. By calling for a ceasefire today, he endangers the survival of the only democracy in the Middle East and ignores the root causes of the war. Conflating a two-state solution with a ceasefire is dangerous, enables antisemitism to soar, and heightens division among the very people who elected Governor Murphy to lead our state.”

“It is disheartening to learn that the governor does not appreciate the devastating local impact of this war on the Jewish community,” Ben-Shimon added. “His statement minimizes the plight of the hostages, including from our own New Jersey families and communities. His statement offers nothing for the victims on both sides, who need Hamas to surrender for this war to end. Nor does his statement stand for decency and civilization in the face of terror and hate.”

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