Pro-Palestine Asian activists disrupted a Lunar New Year parade in Queens, New York, this Saturday to protest several local politicians’ support of Israel amid the violence in Gaza, according to a press release from Asians 4 Palestine NYC.
The protestors, who were a part of the group “Asians 4 Palestine NYC,” interrupted the speeches of politicians including Eric Adams, Kathy Hochul and Grace Meng, while prompting up a banner reading “Ceasefire Now! End the Siege!” in English, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.
The group passionately chanted pro-Palestine phrases, including “Free Palestine” and “Ceasefire Now,” as they performed a traditional lion dance with a Palestine flag draped over their body.
“We wage peace by speaking the truth,” said Asians 4 Palestine NYC on Instagram. “At Lunar New Year celebrations, we gather to wish each other, our families and communities: Health, Safety, Longevity and Prosperity for generations. Under Israeli occupation, none of these are available to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and within Israel.”
Asians 4 Palestine NYC noted that this weekend signifies 127 days since the first day of attacks on Oct. 7, which has resulted in nearly 30,000 Palestinian victims.
With this Lunar New Year representing the transition to the Wood Dragon, Asians 4 Palestine NYC explained that the story of the dragon protecting people from a burning village can reflect activist efforts to spread awareness of the crisis in Gaza, according to their Instagram.
“We see strong parallels between this story and leveraging our power to shine a light on the dire situation that is happening in Palestine during this important cultural celebration,” said Asians 4 Palestine NYC on Instagram.
In the comment section of the post, Instagram user Sara Joy Carminati shared her support for what the Asians 4 Palestine NYC were able to accomplish during the parade.
“Yesssss beautiful!!,” commented Sara Joy Carminati on the Asians 4 Palestine NYC post. “Happy new year to the entire Asian diaspora. Free Palestine.”
This Sunday, the second day of Lunar New Year, the nonprofit organization Nodutdol for Korean Community Development plans to host a rally and vigil to show support to Palestinians who lost their lives in the Middle East.
“In New York, the same elected officials speaking at Lunar New Year parades are supporting the genocide in Palestine and building jails and casinos that will displace immigrant families in Chinatown and Flushing,” said Nodutdol member Jeongyi Kim in the press release. “But these officials do not represent us. We call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to US aid to Israel.”
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