Protesters in New Jersey express solidarity with Gaza

Draped in keffiyahs and waving Palestinian flags, hundreds of people assembled in Gould Park in Patterson, New Jersey, on Tuesday in a show of solidarity with Palestinians. 

Speakers chanted "Enough is Enough" and "Free Free Palestine", urging protesters to pressure their representatives to take action against the Israeli aggression over the past few days that has involved air strikes in Gaza, the crackdown on protesters in Sheikh Jarrah and attacks on worshippers in the Al Aqsa mosque complex.

Patterson is home to thousands of Palestinian immigrants, and is sometimes referred to as Little Ramallah. 

Addressing the crowd, Salaedin Maksut, the executive director of the New Jersey chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) told the crowd that "Israel's recent actions had proved to the world that they don't care about justice or peace".

He also connected the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests to the Palestinian struggle for self determination.

"The powers that are funding the oppression of the Palestinian people are the same powers that are funding the oppression of minority groups in this country," Maksut said.

Organisers said around 500 people had attended the rally.