Vigil to Repudiate Hatred Held at Berkeley Senior Center

Photos: Leon Kunstenaar

(March 3, Berkeley)-The vigil began in front of the South Berkeley Senior Center on Ellis Street. Several network TV crews were there as Robb from the Distributed Sound Collective set up the lectern and lighting.

The action was the response to an act of graffiti vandalism at the at Berkeley Community Physical Therapy. There have been other instances of hate crimes at Muslims owned businesses.

Speaking next to a mini altar holding flowers, a candle and dates, leaders of Muslim, Christian and Jewish faith addressed the crowd of perhaps a hundred supporters of the Palestine struggle.

Many then went in to the building to attend and provide public comment at the meeting of the Berkeley Peace and Justice commission. The main issue is to get the Berkeley Ci y Council to pass a resolution condemning the genocide that Israel is perpetrating against Palestine and especially the massive support being provided to Israel, courtesy US taxpayers. Berkeley Zionists are fighting the resolution,

Several people, presumably Zionist supporters of Israel, were there wearing Israeli symbols and one was cloaked in an Israeli flag. Several waved signs condemning "hatred."

Of course, condemning hatred and favoring peace, as many Bay Area Jews do, is an easy call. The defining question is: "who are the people entitled to live and govern in Palestine?" Both Palestinians and Zionists claim not only ancestral rights, but exclusive ancestral rights.

But the above pales in light of what is happening right now. This is the reality of an ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people, perpetrated by the Israeli government. Regardless of whose land it is. This, no one can support.

See all high resolution photos here.