November 17, 2023 - Today, hundreds of thousands of people from across the world will participate in the global day of action as part of the “Shut it Down for Palestine!” movement. The day of action takes place six weeks since Israel began its genocidal attacks on the Gaza strip which have killed over 11,500 Palestinians and injured over 30,000. 

Israel launched a brutal attack this week on Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza, after a White House spokesperson publicly backed Israel’s claim that the hospital was functioning as a “Hamas base”. This lie has put at risk the lives of the thousands of refugees sheltering at the hospital, the hundreds of vulnerable patients including dozens of newborn babies, and dozens of healthcare workers.

Activists from the Palestinian Youth Movement, the ANSWER Coalition, National Students for Justice in Palestine, Al-Awda-NY, the International Peoples’ Assembly, Palestinian American Community Center - NJ, and The People’s Forum – who launched the call to #ShutItDown4Palestine – say that as long as the US is participating in the murder of thousands of Palestinian children, men, women, and elderly people and using their tax dollars to fund it, business cannot continue as usual and mobilizations must intensify.

Cultural workers, students, shop owners, teachers, professors, healthcare workers, and people from across socioeconomic sectors will participate in the day of action through hundreds of walkouts, strikes, marches, boycotts, store closures, sit-ins, and more.

“The majority of people in this country reject the policy of the Biden administration, which has been one of total support for and participation in genocide,” said Brian Becker, Executive Director of the ANSWER Coalition, “The tide of public opinion has turned, and the massive and widespread nature of the actions planned for November 17 will make that even clearer.”

“Activists across the country will be disrupting business as usual at corporations that profit from genocide,” said Layan Fuleihan, Education Director of The People’s Forum, “Whether it’s weapons manufacturers, big banks, tech companies or any other entity that grows rich off Palestinian suffering and death – the people will shut down genocide profiteers!”

Organizers also expect massive student participation in the day of action – which also falls on the International Day of Student Struggle. Walkouts have been called at dozens of universities across the United States. The student movement in Palestine as well as student organizations in 16 countries throughout North Africa and the Middle East have also organized university walkouts. 

“The demand for Palestinian liberation have been unwavering and steadfast on universities across North America. U.S politicians and university administrators complicit in genocide and colonial apartheid have tried to quell and suppress this just movement, but students refuse to be intimidated. The power of the student solidarity movement has only strengthened. It is with this power that we will mobilize, organize, and shut It down for Palestine,” said a representative from National Students for Justice in Palestine.

Hundreds of small businesses have also announced that they will be closing their doors as part of the day of action.

For more information about the November 17 Global Shutdown for Palestine and a list of the planned actions visit the website shutitdown4palestine.org.