Hundreds of Filipinos march in largest protest for Palestine in U.S. history

Hundreds of Filipinos march in largest protest for Palestine in U.S. history

November 5, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Filipino community members from across the country mobilized to the National March on Washington for a Free Palestine on Saturday, November 4, 2023. They marched in solidarity together with over 300,000 people, making it the largest mobilization for Palestine in U.S. history.

Marching from Farragut Square to Freedom Plaza, the 300 Filipinos who took the streets under the “Filipinos for Palestine” contingent amplified the demands for an immediate ceasefire, to end the siege on Gaza, and to end all U.S. support for Israel.

“From Palestine to the Philippines, Stop the US War Machine!” Members of Anakbayan Manhattan and ILPS NE (International League of People’s Struggle – Northeast) traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the historic march for Palestinian freedom. Image Credit: Filipinos4Palestine

“As Filipinos, we know what it’s like to struggle against foreign occupation and domination, what it is like to fight for national liberation across generations,” said Nina, a national officer of BAYAN USA, to the massive crowd. “Philippine and Palestinian liberation are inextricably linked because we have a common enemy. So let us rise up and link arms across our movements and build anti-imperialist solidarity.”

The Philippines was the third largest buyer of Israeli weapons from 2018 to 2022, arming the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, who are known to commit extra-judicial killings on behalf of the government, human rights violations, and brutal repression of activists, journalists, and other civilians critical of the government.

“Especially as the Philippine government deliberates its national budget, we must demand an immediate end to the purchasing of weapons from Israel, which funnels hundreds of millions of dollars toward death rather than the needs of the people,” Nina continued. “Israeli arms are used to kill Filipinos both in the continuing ‘war on drugs’ and in counter-insurgency operations that target civilians. Israeli profits from these weapons sales fuel the Zionist machinery that kills Palestinians and serves to reinforce the Israeli occupation.”

Filipinos4Palestine contingent carry various flags from their organizations, from the International League of People’s Struggle, BAYAN USA, Malaya Movement, and the Philippine flag.
Image Credit: Kabataan Alliance DMV

Shell casings made in Israel were found in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) after the Marawi siege in 2017 that caused over 1,000 civilian casualties, 360,000 displaced, and widespread destruction of infrastructure.

Throughout October and November, Philippine organizations worldwide have planned and supported various actions expressing solidarity with Palestine, from teach-ins to mass protest actions.

On October 31, hundreds of Filipinos held a protest at the Israeli embassy in Manila after the Philippine government chose to abstain from voting on the United Nations resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce in Palestine. The Philippines was the only Southeast Asian country that did not support the non-binding resolution.

“The Marcos administration’s silence on Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people is unacceptable. It is also a death sentence for the tens of thousands of overseas Filipino workers in occupied Palestine, who are also seen as ‘collateral damage’ by Israel in its attacks against Palestine,” stated Nina.

The “Filipinos for Palestine” contingent was organized by BAYAN USA, Malaya Movement, Kabataan Alliance, Anakbayan USA, and GABRIELA USA — all of which were among the over 500 endorsers of the national march.

(PRESS RELEASE)