Palestine activist hold a banner on the steps of San Francisco’s Union Square during the candle light vigil on May 15, 2012. (Photo: Ramsey El-Qare)
Palestinian activists and their political allies held a silent vigil in San Francisco’s Union Square, May 15, to commemorate the “Nakba,” or catastrophe, an expulsion of 700,000 Palestinians from their homeland between 1947 and 1949. Around 70 people participated in the event, including a group from Occupy San Francisco who marched to join the protesters from their downtown encampment.
Mahmoud Ateyeh , a San Francisco activist, reads names of Palestinian villages and towns erased by them Israeli occupation at the candle light vigil in Union Square on May 15, 2012.
(Photo: Ramsey El-Qare)
(Photo: Ramsey El-Qare)
Palestine activist hold a banner on the steps of San Francisco’s Union Square during the candle light vigil on May 15, 2012. (Photo: Ramsey El-Qare)
Members of Occupy SF march towards the candle light vigil on Geary Street, San Francisco chanting for Palestine on May 15, 2012. (Photo: Ramsey EL-Qare)
(Photo: Ramsey El-Qare)
Members of Occupy SF march towards the candle light vigil on Geary Street, San Francisco chanting for Palestine on May 15, 2012. (Photo: Ramsey El-Qare)
(Photo: Ramsey El-Qare)
Palestinian flags flap in the wind on the steps of San Francisco’s Union Square during the candle light vigil on May 15, 2012. (Photo: Ramsey El-Qare)
The silent vigil was held in conjunction with Nakba events from around the world. Cities holding vigils in the United States included New York City, Chicago and Washington DC. In Israel/Palestine, demonstrations took place throughout the West Bank, Gaza and on Tel Aviv University’s campus, with additional protests this past week in support of prisoners on hunger strike. Amira Hass reported in Haaretz during the past few days in the West Bank these demonstrators were “channeled to the Qalandiyah and Beitunia checkpoints” as to “not disturb the orderly traffic movement of Beit El settlers.”
“Amira Hass reported in Haaretz during the past few days in the West Bank these demonstrators were ‘channeled to the Qalandiyah and Beitunia checkpoints” as to “not disturb the orderly traffic movement of Beit El settlers.'”
Yeah, because god forbid that members of the Master Race are disturbed in their traffic movement by their victims.
Ramsey,
Great pics. A technical question: In the first photo, you have a shallow depth of field. Did you shoot with a wide aperature or are you using a long lens? It looks somewhat distorted on the edges, making me think you shot using a wide angle with a wide aperature. Just wondering…
wonderful photos! thank you so much ;)
i was there. there were as many people crowded around on the sidewalk attending the vigil as there were up on the steps. it was one of those occasions to see so many faces familiar to me in the local activist community as well as meet with friends from across the bay and people i’ve met and gotten to know from mondoweiss.
thanks to all the sponsors of the event. i love SF, loved the welcoming spirit of everyone who walked by and approached. no negativity at all. amazingly the local zionist community let us be.