A 25-mile “From the River to the Sea” walk for Gaza was held May 26 in Seattle.  Hundreds marched the distance with signs and banners as Gazans fight against genocide perpetrated by Israel using U.S.-supplied weapons.  

Participants denounced the brutal assault and bombings of Rafah and the rest of Gaza and Palestine, chanting and singing most of the way. Along the route, many people joined those who walked the entire distance.

The demonstration started at a park near Sea-Tac airport and marched all the way through downtown Seattle to the Salish Sea (aka Puget Sound) in the north end. One march organizer said: “A march of this length serves as an opportunity to build a physical connection with Gaza … and to honor the millions of Palestinians who have been displaced from their homeland.” 

Halfway along the way, the marchers stopped along the Duwamish River at the Longhouse of the Duwamish Tribe, the First People of Seattle, who served participants lunch. From there, the protest swelled to over 500 people who marched through downtown.  

The demonstration then walked through the Folklife Festival at the Seattle Center,

where they rallied and gathered major attention. They then traveled all the way to the finish at the Salish Sea.

The action was extremely well organized by Palestinian organizations like Samidoun, Falestinayat and Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return (SUPER), with major help from the Duwamish Tribe, and also Jewish

Voice for Peace, among many others. Free Palestine!

– Report and photo by Jim McMahan