New Yorkers take action on Syrian crisis

While thousands demonstrated in support of Syrian refugees across Europe on Saturday, a crowd of over 200 New Yorkers gathered in Manhattan’s Union Square on Saturday to show they are tired of feeling their own community was neglecting the issue. “People in the United States seem to feel that the Syrian crisis is Europe’s problem,” says  25-year-old Syrian American Nader Atassi, who helped organize a pro-refugee rally. “We’re here to say it’s a human problem, and we want our government to do more to help.” 

Despite the threat of rain, the protesters rallied in the bustling New York thoroughfare, many holding signs urging for the United States to allow more refugees to enter—and soon.  Chants of “Obama, let them in” and “Refugees are welcome here” rang out at the hour-long rally, while others hoisted signs declaring “NYC Says Welcome” and “No One Is Illegal.”

Sarab Al-Jijakli, a Syrian-American community leader, kicked off the event by leading the crowd in a moment of silence for the fallen victims of the crisis. Al-Jijakli followed this with a passionate call for a “more compassionate American strategy” of dealing with the crisis. So far, the United States has taken in fewer than 1,500 Syrian refugees, and Atassi says that even the additional 8,000 proposed by Obama still falls short. “The International Rescue Committee has called for the United States to take in 65,000 by 2016,” says Atassi, “And compared with the hundreds of thousands being absorbed in Europe, or the millions in Turkey and Jordan, even 65,000 is low.” Al-Jijakli called on the crowd to sign a petition urging the United States to meet the IRC recommendations.

Al-Jijakli was followed by several other speakers emphasizing need to put humanitarian concerns ahead of politics. Aku Gy, an organizer from Black Lives Matter, urged the crowd to recognize the common struggle of marginalized groups. “Brown lives matter, black lives matter, all lives should matter,” said Gy. “Tell Obama to end the wars and open the borders!” Gy’s speech met with applause and cheers from the crowd. Next, immigrant-rights activist Fransisco Ramirez, spoke in in his native Spanish. Ramirez said as a Mexican immigrant he “related completely” to the struggle of the Syrians who face hostile borders.

Many of the attendees expressed their eagerness to see more American action. Mikey Elsten, a graduate student at the City University of New York, felt that it was “about time” to see public action in American streets. “We should have had more outcry, sooner. The humanitarian suffering is just unbelievable. And we have the resources to help,” says Elsten. 22-year-old Katrina Leung, holding a handwritten sign declaring “REFUGEES ARE HUMAN BEINGS,” never attended a public demonstration before but has been moved by the images and stories of the Syrian plight in Europe. “These refugees are really suffering,” says Leung, “and it doesn’t feel like many people are paying attention.” Leung’s companion Hannah Lann, hails from the UK and says that, as a European, she’s felt the issue hit close to home. “People back home [in Europe] are all talking about this issue–it’s good to see the conversation going in the States, too.”

While the crowd faced a few hecklers–one man protesting with a large sign reading “KEEP SYRIANS OUT”–the overwhelming atmosphere was one of earnest concern. After the crowds dispersed under sprinkling rain, al-Jijakli says he was encouraged by the turnout. “It was a fantastic display of solidarity from a diverse NYC crowd,” he says, “But it is just a start and we have much work to do.”