Over the past 10 months, the world has watched Israel, with U.S. funding and support, commit unprecedented violence against Palestinians trapped in Gaza. The genocide has been streaming live on social media, with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reporting more than 38,000 Gazans killed by Israeli Defense Forces, more than 15,000 children and 1.9 million Gazans (of the 2.2 million total Gazan population) displaced. Simultaneously in the United States, Palestinians have been victims of violent hate crimes: a 6-year-old stabbed to death in his home in Chicago, an attempted drowning of a 3-year-old in Texas and three Palestinian college students shot on the street in Vermont. And here in Somerville, a city that prides itself on leading on equity and inclusion, our Arab, Muslim, Palestinian and pro-Palestinian activists have endured ever-escalating threats, targeting, violence and hate with no acknowledgement or condemnation from our mayor.
Inclusion and equity were the centerpiece of Katjana Ballantyne’s 2021 mayoral campaign. Shortly after winning the election, she shared her hopes for her first term: “I want people to feel that they have been included, that they feel we have made the appropriate advancements on equity and that equity is not just a buzzword.” Ballantyne needs to remember her vision and stand up for the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim community in Somerville now.
Since the start of Israel’s accelerated genocide against Palestinians trapped in Gaza, Somerville’s Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim residents and neighbors have been the targets of racist harassment, intimidation and repression. These instances include rape threats as well as continued verbal and physical harassment – much of which have happened in front of children in our community. Ballantyne has remained silent on the genocide and anti-Palestinian hate in Somerville – creating a vacuum of leadership by not condemning the violence and hateful behavior toward Palestinians and their supporters in Somerville. Her inaction has allowed a climate of anti-Palestinian, Arab and Muslim hate to flourish here in Somerville.
In late November, residents formed Somerville for Palestine, an open interfaith, intergenerational, interracial group of hundreds of residents advocating for a cease-fire in Gaza and freedom and justice for all Palestinian people. As a result of S4P’s advocacy, Somerville became the first city in Massachusetts to pass a cease-fire resolution, publicly calling for an end to violence against Palestinians trapped in Gaza, a release of all hostages and condemning all hate against Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, Jews and Israelis here at home.
As Israel’s genocide raged on, S4P students, teachers, city employees and residents organized a daily peaceful standout for a cease-fire in front of Somerville High School. They were repeatedly the target of harassment and threats. Threats and obscenities included:
“You f***ing d***head. I’m going to get you. I promise!”
“I hope they rape your wife.”
“You homophobic b****.”
“Your mother and sister are wh***s.”
“There’s nothing that makes me happier than Palestinians being killed.”
Emboldened, these agitators escalated their aggression over time, physically intimidating protest attendees, which included high school students and young children. Multiple attendees pursued orders of protection as a result of the continued harassment.
S4P held a peaceful rally May 20 before giving public comment at a School Committee meeting in support of Somerville High School student protesters. Attendees included SHS students, Somerville Public School educators and their families. The rally was called in response to a Somerville School Committee member likening pro-Palestinian student activists to white nationalists and suggesting that they be disciplined for their activism. What was supposed to be a nonviolent demonstration suddenly escalated when counterprotestors arrived from out of town. An organized group of pro-war agitators defending Israel’s genocidal mission in Gaza confronted rally participants with vulgarities, racial epithets and physical aggression. They blared sirens directly into the ears of rally participants and screamed obscenities into megaphones, including “rape supporter,” “sodomy supporter” and “terrorist.” The counterprotesters also called Jewish Somerville residents in attendance “self-hating Jews” and told them to “go to Gaza and get raped by Hamas.”
S4P and the Boston chapter of IfNotNow (a Jewish-led organization) co-hosted a screening on June 26 of the 2023 documentary “Israelism at the Armory.” The event was a beautiful and culturally significant display of deep solidarity between Jewish Americans and Palestinian liberation, attended by more than 250 people. The event was also the target of continued harassment by pro-war Israel supporters against members of our community, including Jewish youth, Arab city employees, queer people and a Black city councilor. Many of the same agitators from the May 20 rally and SHS Ceasefire Standout antagonized event attendees for three hours during the film. In addition to once again calling attendees “terrorists,” agitators attempted to disrupt the event, including making lewd comments about a Jewish SHS student and photographing her ID. One agitator mockingly offered watermelon (a symbol of Palestinian solidarity) to event attendees, while another agitator, who had previously identified herself as a Somerville business owner, musingly asked, “Isn’t watermelon for Black people?”
These are far from the only instances of harassment and repression our group has experienced over the past months. The Somerville Police Department was present at many of these events and witnessed the aggression our groups faced firsthand. The police are responsible for keeping Somerville residents safe, and it is standard practice at events like these for the groups to be kept separate so things do not escalate. SPD took no action to separate the pro-war agitators, effectively sanctioning their aggression and sending a clear message that anti-Palestinian hate is welcome in Somerville.
After each incident, S4P shared the details of what we experienced, including video documentation, with the mayor and other elected leaders in Somerville. Ballantyne has continually minimized and deflected our concerns. On multiple occasions, she turned her back on and even ran away from Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim constituents bringing their concerns to her. The mayor’s hesitancy to condemn not only the genocide, but also rampant anti-Arab and anti-Muslim violence here at home, has emboldened pro-war, pro-Israel agitators and white supremacists to continue their onslaught without repercussions in our city.
In a meeting with S4P leaders in April, Ballantyne committed to making a public statement on the genocide of Palestinians. We are still waiting for a statement. We know these attacks are meant to intimidate and silence pro-Palestinian voices in Somerville, just as the Israeli government has silenced Palestinians for generations. But Somerville residents calling for a free Palestine will not be silenced. Our calls are for peace and justice, while those who violently oppose us are on the side of oppression, bigotry and genocide. As the leader of our city, Ballantyne sets the tone for what is acceptable in Somerville. We want her to put out a written statement supporting a cease-fire in Gaza and condemning violence and repression against Palestinians and their supporters here in Somerville. Ultimately, we ask Ballantyne to keep her word to make Somerville an inclusive and equitable place. We encourage all leaders to step up to ensure Somerville commits to protecting everyone in our community, especially those most impacted by the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Carina Kurban, Sara Halawa, Leila Skinner, Adam Pease, Chris Mullen and P.M., Somerville for Palestine members
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No student should ever be treated or threatened like that. No one period.
Yes, I agree, there should be an immediate cease-fire by Hamas. Clearly, they knowingly instigated the slaughter of their own people, while they hide safely in their tunnels. It’s time for them to lay down their arms and release the hostages.
Hamas has agreed to the last several hostage deals it is Israel who refuses to do so.
If the authors were truly interested in peace, then they would be protesting against Hamas and pleading with them to release the hostages. All of the current military actions by Israel are the direct result of October 7th. Release the hostages and these aggressions stop. Their refusal to acknowledge the fact that HAMAS prolongs the suffering by their failing to release the hostages speaks volumes as to their true motivations.
Also, have the authors stood up against the inequitable treatment of Jewish students since October 7th? I think we all know the answer to that question.
Given how Somerville for Palestine’s statements about the war in Gaza are so full of wild distortions and half truths, I have no doubt their accusations against Somerville Mayor, Katjana Ballantyne are also extremely one-sided and far from the full truth.