SALEM — Over two days, protesters gathered on Salem Common last weekend to stage a “community encampment” intended to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and demand an immediate permanent ceasefire in the ongoing war in Gaza.
Fenced off in a roughly basketball-court-sized perimeter, the encampment looked purposefully similar to the many pro-Palestinian student encampments that cropped up at Massachusetts colleges earlier this year, including Harvard, MIT, Umass Amherst, Emerson, Tufts, and Northeastern.
However, in addition to tents, the Salem Common encampment included information tables, games and activities, music, and intermittent speakers from involved organizations like Northshore for Palestine and Mass. Peace Action.
“We are here today as a community to mourn the genocide in Gaza,” co-organizer Julie Jolin said. “We are also here to learn about Palestine. and we are here to support the students in our community who see the issue so clearly, and are bravely addressing it.”
“This generation of students are an inspiration amongst all of this death and destruction, not only in Gaza, but in other war-torn areas such as Sudan, Somalia, Mexico, and the Congo,” said Jill El-Ashkar, a co-organizer and member of Northshore for Palestine and Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine.
“They spoke the truth, and the universities could not withstand the truth and the threats from the Zionist (donors) who would withdraw financial support. They smashed their peaceful encampments, destroyed their belongings, and tried to strip them of their education — but what an education they got.”
The encampment was accompanied by a large police presence with officers from nearby departments. Police said they would respond as they do for any large events, particularly ones with the potential for conflict and disruption – and wouldn’t tolerate any destruction of property.
Counter-protesters, who were fenced in an adjacent space on the Common, also came out to rally for Israel and speak out against the demonstration both Saturday and Sunday while the encampment was being staged. Protesters waved Israeli, American, and Pride flags with the Star of David overlaid on them, spoke with attendees, chanted along the perimeter of the encampment, and played music to overpower the words of speakers within the pro-Palestinian encampment.
“I came out here to show the North Shore and the community here that we are not a silent minority,” said Idan Davidyan, a pro-Israeli counter-protester. “There’s a side that believes in human rights and values democracy, and then there’s the other side that kills gays, throws them off of roofs, and has terrorists in their government — and there are people on the other side who support them and think of them as resistance fighters.”
The pro-Palestinian encampment was the first in a series of similar encampments planned across the state, with the second to take place in Western Massachusetts in late July, and the third planned to be staged in Cambridge the weekend of Aug. 24.
Helping to stage the encampment were members of supporting organizations such as Mass. Peace Action, Jewish Voice for Peace Boston, Northshore for Palestine, Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine, Beverly Ceasefire, and Salem State’s Students for Justice in Palestine.
The groups had scheduled times for speakers and film screenings, as well as dedicated information booths covering topics like water rights in Palestine, developments in the International Court of Justice, the colonial roots of Palestine and the Middle East, and opportunities for engagement.
The encampment was the latest of several demonstrations organized in Salem by these local groups, who have previously rallied in Riley Plaza and converged around U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton’s office on Front Street, calling upon him to demand a permanent ceasefire amid the escalating death toll of Palestinian civilians.
“It’s a very acute moment for the United States,” Mass. Peace Action Executive Director Cole Harrison said. “There’s a lot of people in the U.S. that see that what’s going on is wrong, but they need a lot more information.
“The mainstream media is full of lies and misinformation, so we have to do all we can to correct that to get the word out. That’s why we’re out here on the Salem Common, in the open grass, where everybody can see us so we can share our stories and get the information out.”
The war in Gaza ignited on Oct. 7, following brutal surprise attacks by Hamas that killed 1,200 Israelis. Hamas also took 250 hostages, many of whom are still in captivity.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that more than 37,000 Palestinians, many of whom are women and children, have been killed in the Israeli army’s bombardment and military offensive in Gaza since the start of the war. A dramatic surge in antisemitism and Islamophobia across the globe has also been documented since then.
Michael McHugh can be contacted at mmchugh@northofboston.com or at 781-799-5202