This toolkit is the product of nearly a decade of hands-on practice, experience and lessons that we have learned from our time organizing in NYC. While conditions differ in the places where we organize, this toolkit is a roadmap for how your organization or coalition can put on a successful rally and build the movement for Palestine from wherever you are.
From August 5th to August 7th, forty-nine Palestinians, including seventeen children, were murdered in cold blood in air strikes by occupation forces throughout Gaza and over 350 Palestinians were wounded. As rallies, marches, vigils and social media campaigns continue to be organized around the world to honor the martyrs of Gaza and to defend the Palestinian right to resist, this toolkit remains a resource for all those fighting for Palestinian liberation and return.
In response to the occupation’s latest genocidal attack on Gaza, we have added the full list of the names of the martyrs in Gaza and high resolution posters of them at the bottom of the page. Print them out and take pictures with them at protests and at home to continue the call to honor the martyrs of Palestine.
RALLY CHECKLIST
Chants, Logistics, Outreach, Materials, Assigned Roles, Security Recommendations, Follow Up, Playlist
This is a non-comprehensive list of how to organize a rally. You may not need all of these components to have a successful protest but if you have the capacity and resources for the following it will help your action be more successful.
Chants
We will free Palestine!
Within our lifetime!
There is only one solution!
Intifada revolution!
Resistance is justified!
When people are occupied!
Palestine is our demand!
No peace on stolen land!
من المية للمية فلسطين عربية
Min il-maya lal maya, Falasteen 3arabiye
(From the river to the sea, Palestine is Arab)
بدنا نحكي على المكشوف صهيوني ما بدنا نشوف
Bidna nihki al makshouf, sahyouni ma Bidna Nshoof
(Say it loud say it clear, we don’t want zionists here)
باب الأقصى من حديد ما بيفتحها الا الشهيد
Bab Al-Aqsa min Hadeed, ma byiftaha illa alshaheed
(The door of Al-Aqsa is made of iron, only a martyr can open it)
When Palestine is under attack
What do we do?
Stand up! Fight Back!
Hey hey, ho ho!
zionism has got to go!
Hey hey, ho ho!
israel has got to go!
From the river to the sea!
Palestine will be free!
From Palestine to Mexico!
All these walls have got to go!
From New York to Gaza!
Globalize the intifada!
Free, free Palestine!
Long live Palestine!
Intifada, intifada!
Long live the intifada!
This is not acceptable, Jerusalem’s our capital!
Stop the U.S. war machine!
From Palestine to the Philippines!
It is right to rebel!
israel go to hell!
Settlers settlers go back home!
Palestine is our home!
We don’t want two states!
We want ‘48!
1 2 3 4 occupation no more!
5 6 7 8 smash the settler zionist state!
Out of Afghanistan! Out of Iraq!
Out of Palestine and don’t come back!
Occupation is a crime!
From New York to Palestine!
Not just annexation!
Not just occupation!
Fight for liberation!
Bring the whole thing down!
Not another nickel! Not another dime!
No more money for israel’s crimes!
israel you can’t hide!
You’re committing genocide!
israel what do you say?
How many kids did you jail today?
israel we know you!
You imprison children too!
End detention, stop the crimes!
israel out of Palestine!
Logistics
- Create a facebook event page
- Flyer design
- Create a standard blurb for people to share on social media. Feel free to use from our introduction.
- Co-sponsor with allied orgs to bring in more resources and support
- Contact legal observers (legal organizations like National Lawyers Guild provide legal observing to rallies across the U.S.)
- Write a press release to send to local media the night before or early the day of the rally.
- Organize a press conference with community leaders and organizations to speak about the goals of the rally to the media.
- Have a point media person to coordinate with media for the press conference
- Create a security plan for those that attend the rally to ensure their safety particularly from Zionist disruptors.
- Be prepared to do jail support in case any protesters are arrested.
Outreach
- Campuses: contact student organizations and ask them to share on social media.
- Coalitions: invite any coalitions you may be a part of to not only endorse but attend, speak, and volunteer with security and other demanding tasks.
- Local neighborhood: Not everyone is online. Organize physical outreach if you live near a Palestinian community. Ask local stores to advertise your rally in their windows. Go around and tape flyers to bus stops and give them out to those that may be interested
Materials
- Signs
- Markers to write down legal observers/lawyers number who agreed to observe
- Banners
- Bullhorn/speakers + mic/sound
- Flags
- Poles
- Flyers/handouts
- Clipboard for sign up sheet
Assigned Roles
- MC
- Program coordinator
- Speakers list
- Live stream video
- Photography
- Security coordinator
- Outreach coordinator
- Media person
We Keep Us Safe: Security Recommendations
Protect Everyone:
- Scope out your rally location ahead of time and make sure your route is free of obstructions being mindful of street directions, locations of police precincts, etc.
- Develop a security team and have a briefing shortly before the rally to go over the timeline of the day and any security threats
- Move as one, stay behind front banners to keep the rally cohesive and protected.
- Keep route direction closely guarded, do not tell random people who ask.
- Journalists and photographers should check in with organizers before publishing any material
- Do Not Talk to The Police! Have an assigned police negotiator who is the sole person talking to the police.
- Do not record, post, or talk freely about anything that could get anyone in legal trouble.
Protect Yourself:
- Cover your face if you do not want to be identified.
- Find your local National Lawyer’s Guild chapter and write their phone number down on your arm in case you’re arrested.
- Travel to and leave the action with friends and comrades.
Follow up
- Internal assessment + debrief
- Posting Statement + pictures on Social Media/ website
Playlist
Here are some Palestinian resistance songs you may choose to play as folks gather for the rally
دحية يا ستي
صوت البارود
Janna ya wattanna
Udrub Udrub
Ya Zareef Al-tool – Palestinian dabke
Ana raji3
e7na falastiniyeh
Honor the Martyrs of Gaza
Alaa Qaddoum, 5 years old
Yousef Qaddoum, 24 years old, Shujaiya
Imad Shallah, 50 years old, Shujaiya
Tayseer Mahmoud al-Jabari, 50 years old, Gaza City
Salameh al-Abed, 41 years old, Gaza City
Ahmad Azzam, 25 years old, Zeitoun
Mohammed Ahmed al-Madhoun, 25, Jabalia
Duniyana al-Amour, 22 years old, Khan Younis
Fadel Mustafa Zo’rob, 30 years old, Khan Younis
Mohammad al-Bayok, 35 years old, Khan Younis
Tamim Ghassan Hijazi, 24 years old, Khan Younis
Osama al-Suri, 27 years old, Khan Younis
Mohammed Shbeir, 23 years old, Jabalia
Hassan Mansour, 28 years old, Jabalia
Naama Tulba Abu Qaida, 62 years old, Beit Hanoun
Khaled Mansour, 46 years old, Rafah
Rafat Saleh Al-Zamili, 41, Rafah
Ziad al-Mdalal, 35 years old, Rafah
Ismail Dweik, 30 Rafah
Hana Salameh Dweik, 51, Rafah
Mohammed Hassouna, 14 years old, Rafah
Hazem Ali Salem, 9 years old, Jabalia
Momen al-Nairab, 5 years old, Jabalia
Ahmad al-Nairab, 11 years old, Jabalia
Khalil Abu-Hamadah, 19 years old, Jabalia
Ahmed al-Farram, 16 years old Jabalia
Nafez al-Khatib, 50, Jabalia
Mohammed Zaqout, 19, Jabalia
Jamil Al Deen Nijem, 4, Jabalia
Jamil Ihab Najim , 13, Jabalia
Hamed Haider Najim, 16 years old, Jabalia
Mohammed Salah Nijem, 17 years old, Jabalia
Nazmi Fayez Abu Karsh, 16 years old, Jabalia
Fatma Abdulfattah Ubaid, 15 years old, Beit Hanoun
Yasser al-Nabahin, 45 years old, Bureij Camp
Ahmed al-Nabahin, 9 years old, Bureij Camp
Mohammed al-Nabahin, 13 years old, Bureij Camp
Dalia al-Nabahin, 13 years old, Bureij Camp
Mahmoud Daoud, 21 years old, Gaza City
Dia Zuhair Al-Borai, 30 years old, Jabalia
Alaa Saleh Al-Tahrawi, 30 years old, Rafah
Ahmad Afana, 30 years old, Jabalia
Khaled Ayman Yassin, 27 years old, Zeitoun
Nour al-Din Hussein al-Zweidi, 18 years old, Beit Hanoun
Misbah al-Khatib, 50 years old, Jabalia
Hanin Abu Qaida, 10 years old, Jabalia
Ibrahim Abu Salah, 45 years old, Beit Hanoun
Layan al-Shaer, 10 years old, Khan Younis
Anas Anshasi, 45 years old, Khan Younis
