In the wake of the recent Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, the Black Lives Matter Grassroots group has extended its support to the Palestinian “resistance.” Their statement, however, refrains from expressing sympathy for the more than 1,000 Israelis who lost their lives, instead declaring solidarity with Palestinians, arguing that their “desperate act of self-defense” should be understood in the context of decades of oppression.
Black Lives Matter Grassroots, which originated from the U.S. racial justice movement, emphasized the parallels they perceive between the struggles of Black Americans and Palestinians facing oppression. In an Instagram post published on Monday, the group expressed support for Palestinians “resisting 75 years of settler colonialism and apartheid.”
In the caption, they corrected the time frame to 75 years. The statement reads, “As Black people continue the fight to end militarism and mass incarceration in our own communities, let us understand the resistance in Palestine as an attempt to tear down the gates of the world’s largest open-air prison.”
Drawing parallels between the surveillance, dehumanization, property seizures, family separations, and racial discrimination faced by Black Americans and the situation in Palestine, the statement further stated, “We, too, understand what it means to be surveilled, dehumanized, property seized, families separated, our people criminalized and slaughtered with impunity, locked up in droves, and when we resist they call us terrorists. We, too, dream of a world where our people may live freely on decolonized land. May the borders, checkpoints, prisons, police, and watchlists that terrorize our communities crumble, and may the world we build from their ashes honor those who have fallen in struggle.”
The statement concluded by calling for the dismantling of the entire apartheid system and an immediate cessation of the war against the Palestinian people. They urged the U.S. government to redirect the annual $4 billion in funding from the Israeli military to repair damage caused by U.S.-backed wars and interventions around the world.
Notably, this statement was released at a time when Israel’s military confirmed the discovery of 40 Israeli infants who had been brutally killed by Hamas in a local Israeli village.
While Black Lives Matter Grassroots is distinct from the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF), led by activist Patrisse Cullors, they have continued to promote the BLM message internationally. The Grassroots group comprises 26 BLM chapters across the U.S. and U.K. They previously filed a lawsuit against BLMGNF, alleging financial mismanagement and unjust enrichment.
Neither BLMGNF nor BLM Grassroots has provided an immediate response to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on their recent statement.
The controversial show of support by Black Lives Matter Grassroots for Palestine has ignited debate, highlighting the diverse opinions within the movement.
