Part of the Series
Struggle and Solidarity: Writing Toward Palestinian Liberation
Massacre after massacre is occurring in Palestine, with immense human suffering and destruction, all enabled by the U.S. government. Even with the International Court of Justice declaring Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territories as unlawful, President Joe Biden has shown that there is, in fact, no “red line” for the United States military support for Israel.
What more evidence do we need that our government is morally corrupt, with the death toll rising in Gaza, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is invited to Washington, D.C.? Real hope for change lies in those that are willing to call out our government’s role in the genocide in Palestine, not the U.S. leaders who are to blame for such depravity.
Vice President Kamala Harris, likely to be the Democratic presidential nominee, has also been deeply committed to supporting Israel, and has not indicated any interest in conditioning military funding thus far. Many activists are seeing this as a critical opportunity to push her to depart from Biden’s approach to Israel. As for Donald Trump, he was unequivocally supportive of Israel during his first term as president. For example, he decided to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and he recognized Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights (which is not recognized internationally). U.S. voters must reckon with the limitations of a presidential race in which neither Democrats nor Republicans seek to end U.S. complicity in the genocide in Palestine.
From an early age, the U.S. public is taught that in a functioning democracy, the governed have a voice in shaping the decisions of our elected leaders. Yet despite 67 percent of U.S. voters across the political spectrum supporting a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the U.S. continues to send ever more weapons to Israel.
By disregarding the opinions of the governed, U.S. democracy in practice is teaching us something very different. Not only does it appear that the will of the people is little more than a facade, but President Biden’s actions also show that our democratic dissent continues to be ignored. Therefore, it falls to us to establish our own moral red line and hold our government accountable for abetting Israel’s blatant war crimes.
Activists Take Direct Action in Texas
April 15, 2024, was the first time I participated in a high-risk, arrestable action. A15, as we call it, was an internationally coordinated day of action to “block the arteries and jam the wheels of capitalism,” escalating our resistance in solidarity with Palestine. Eighty-two cities across 18 countries participated in this historic day of action, targeting economic powerhouses that led to the arrests of 483 activists.
It falls to us to establish our own moral red line and hold our government accountable for abetting Israel’s blatant war crimes.
Organizers in each city autonomously selected targets to ensure massive losses in capital that they could realistically carry out, such as at ports, international airports, commercial highways, as well as corporations and weapons manufacturing companies directly profiting from the genocide, like Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
As part of A15, community members in Austin and San Antonio, Texas — myself included — blockaded the entrances and exits to Valero headquarters in San Antonio to protest the corporation’s provision of JP-8 jet fuel to the Israeli military. Valero HQ was selected as a target for a few strategic reasons. Foremost, it is one of the biggest employers in San Antonio and has a notable presence in the city. To follow the main objective of A15, organizers chose Valero HQ to interrupt the work day for as long as possible to cause an economic impact. Valero was also an effective target due to its direct role in the genocide. Additionally, factors such as capacity and number of participants (especially those willing to risk arrest) led to the decision to blockade Valero.
As we put barricades up around Valero HQ, chaining ourselves to people we met merely a few months prior, I knew we were fighting for something much bigger than what voting or traditionally accepted forms of civic engagement could ever offer.
We were creating a sense of community, justice and truth sharing — refusing to give up our power in a political system that harms people both here in the U.S. and around the world. As I banded together with others who were ready to make sacrifices, however small, the possibility of real change felt closer than ever.
Blockaders responsible for directly standing in front of the various entry points to the headquarters were dropped off around 7 am. Within seconds of us lining up and rushing to put our chains on, a large truck angrily attempted to get by us and drove onto the sidewalk, almost grazing us.
The order and civility that Biden and other politicians call for is often disrupted through aggression and violence by police.
As employees pulled up, we informed them that Valero HQ was closed due to its complicity in the genocide. Some Valero employees stayed in their cars trying to explain they had to go to work, while a few tried to maneuver through the small opening next to us, or speedily drove away in frustration. Soon after, several police cars showed up.
As the police collected our information, they attempted to negotiate with us. We were told that if we moved our protest to the sidewalk, we would not be arrested. It was still too early, around 8 am, and we were all well aware of the risk of arrest to ensure capital would be impacted that day in San Antonio. We chanted Palestine solidarity chants, including “Valero, Valero, You Can’t Hide, We Charge You With Genocide,” while also calling out Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Gov. Greg Abbott and President Biden. Employees’ reactions ranged from anger and annoyance, to indifference and even confusion, but after reading our banners, they knew why we were there.
Another hour later, police were still hovering and trying to get us to leave the entrance, but we refused. They were waiting for nearby traffic to die down and for tools to cut off our chains before arresting us. After three hours into blockading the headquarters, close to 10 am, it seemed our chances of leaving arrest-free were diminishing.
At that point, blockaders collectively decided to step off to the sidewalk, feeling confident in significantly disrupting the work day at Valero HQ and its profits. Our ability to get arrested could be used for a future opportunity for direct action. Due to this decision, no one was arrested. Many of us left the action feeling a sense of pride, reinvigorated to continue disrupting “business as usual” and reflected on how we can build from this moment.
Months later, local groups around the U.S., including in Austin, continue to assess which targets and strategies make direct action most effective. Organizers have been mobilizing for Palestine by targeting weapons manufacturing companies and other corporations fueling the genocide, as well as elected officials.
College students protesting for institutional divestment from companies profiting off genocide similarly sacrificed their personal safety in the name of justice. Students and faculty members at over 500 colleges in the U.S. have stood in solidarity with Palestine, facing arrest and brutalization. Pro-Palestine protests on campuses have been met with extreme violence from police and cruel treatment by college administrations and local officials alike.
If order can only be attained by crushing dissenting voices, then are we truly in a legitimate democracy?
Commenting on the protests, Biden said, “We are a civil society, and order must prevail. … We are not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent. … Peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues.”
“But,” Biden added, “neither are we a lawless country.”
President Biden’s assessment of the protests shows that dissent is acceptable, but only with an immensely low threshold. He, along with many elected officials who have criticized protesters during this time, show that they are comfortable with protest only when it does not challenge the status quo.
It is often when the power of the elite is most threatened that the people’s dissent is viewed as illegitimate. Ironically, the order and civility that Biden and other politicians call for is often disrupted through aggression and violence by police. The U.S. government also never holds itself to the same standards it imposes on its people by funding a genocide and applauding a war criminal in Congress.
Our government chooses instead to respond to the whims of corporations and the 1 percent, but rarely reacts with the same urgency to the dire needs of the people. Back in May, New York City Mayor Eric Adams was quick to send police forces to Columbia University to break up pro-Palestine protests at the request of billionaires. Many other local officials around the country followed suit. But democracy cannot be legitimized through the barrel of a gun.
When our elected leaders instill fear of speaking up against our government’s policies through backlash, repression and police-perpetrated violence, democratic practice requires us to push back in real time.
To those who question these forms of escalation, I urge you to ask yourself: What type of response can be expected from a “civil” society when its leaders are responsible for preventing peace and stability? Is the occupation and genocide in Palestine and destruction of Gaza not the most surefire way to destroy any possibility of order? If order can only be attained by crushing dissenting voices, then are we truly in a legitimate democracy? Civility and peace cannot exist when gross injustices are perpetrated by those in power, who are either part of or beholden to the wealthy elite.
As the past several months have demonstrated, fighting for a democracy that works for all of us is not just about voting. The movement for a free Palestine, and related movements against imperialism and militarism, have made clear that the struggle for true democracy requires employing every possible tactic, even — and maybe especially — when it causes disruption and disorder.