QUEENS,NY -UNS: over 200 constituents gathered outside Rep. Grace Meng’s Flushing office to demand that she call for a permanent ceasefire for Gaza. The current ceasefire that went into effect this morning was already violated by Israel firing on Gazans returning to their homes in northern Gaza. The death toll in Gaza now exceeds more than 15,000 Palestinians. 44 Congressional Representatives, and 3 Senators, have called for ceasefire, but Rep. Grace Meng is not amongst them.
Over 150 Muslims first assembled to offer the Salaatul Janaza al Ghaib (funeral prayer in-absentia) for those killed in Gaza. After the prayer, a short program was held where speakers shared personal stories of their lost ones in Gaza, recited the names of the people killed by the Israeli military assault on Gaza, and speakers called on Rep. Meng to urgently join the call for a ceasefire, and to stop funding and arming the Israeli military.
At the end of the program, an altar with pictures of those killed in Gaza, candles, flowers, and seeds were left at the door of Rep. Meng’s office in memory of the lives lost while waiting for a ceasefire.
The event was organized by individual constituents, DRUM – Desis Rising Up & Moving, and Mesita De La Memoria.
