From a Press Release:
The newly founded Keweenaw Friends of Palestine (KFOP) invite the Keweenaw
peninsula community to join them for a Candlelight Vigil in honor of those lost in Israel’s
ongoing siege of the Gaza strip on Thursday, July 11 at 9:30 PM. The vigil will take place at
Houghton’s Huron Street Waterfront Park and will feature poetry and comment by local
writers, organizers, and community members.
This vigil comes after the loss of nearly 38,000 Palestinian lives, the majority of whom were
women and children, during Israel’s current offensive in Gaza and a 75-year genocidal campaign
against Palestinian bodies, families, history, culture, language, and identity. The Keweenaw
Friends of Palestine was founded by local organizers this year in response to Israel’s reignited
aggression and the United States’ complicity in the ongoing genocide. With U.S. funding and in
line with U.S. interests in the region, Israel’s military has conducted a nine-month series of
airstrikes which, according to the UN has left more than half of Gaza’s homes, 267 places of
worship, 18 out of 39 hospitals, all 12 of its universities, and 130 ambulances either damaged
beyond function or completely destroyed. In the rubble that remains, Palestinians are left to
grieve more than 100 journalists, more than 15,000 children, and multiple generations of entire
families.
While much of the organization’s work is directed at holding weekly rallies for the Palestinian
cause and circulating a petition calling on local and state representatives to adopt resolutions in
support of a ceasefire, organizers hope that this vigil will place renewed emphasis on Palestinian
humanity and grief in the face of overwhelming violence and loss. “We want this to be a space of
communal healing for those in our area who may feel alienated by the US government’s active
role in aiding and abetting the genocide. We hope it can be an insightful event where speakers
and writers can express their emotions and experiences related to the conflict in a constructive
and empathetic light” shares Gabriel Ahrendt, a local organizer.
Keweenaw Friends of Palestine holds rallies in solidarity with Palestine every Tuesday at 5 PM
at Veterans Memorial Park in Houghton. To learn more about KFOP, receive updates and
information on the war in Palestine, and find ways to help, visit the organization’s Facebook
page and Instagram. To join KFOP’s mailing list or ask questions, email
keweenawfriendsofpalestine@lists.riseup.net .