November 9, 2023 - Today, in hundreds of cities and towns across the world, people are shutting it down for Palestine. Teachers, students, media workers, doctors, food service workers, human rights defenders, cleaners, and people from all sectors of society are taking action to disrupt business as usual and demand an end to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Teachers, professors, and students will join hands to walk out of school together, pickets will be held outside companies that profit from Israel’s genocidal violence such as weapons companies and manufacturers, public teach ins will be organized, people will refuse to work or walk out early or wear a kuffiyeh and a black armband, and more. In the over 500 actions planned today, there will be a diversity of tactics and actions taken, but we are united in our demands: ceasefire now - end Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza now, end the 16-year siege on Gaza, and cut all aid to Israel.

With every day that passes, hundreds of more people in Gaza are killed or buried under the rubble, and all this with the funding and support of the US government. NOW is the time for our mobilizations to grow in size, frequency, and focus; building a political climate that makes Israel’s business of genocide unsustainable.

“Major companies are profiting off the murder of Palestinians, and politicians are writing Israel a blank check to buy more weapons and then using their time to censor, silence, and criminalize voices that dare to question genocide. We cannot let business as usual continue until Palestine is free!” said Brian Becker, Executive Director of the ANSWER Coalition.

Yara Shoufani of the Palestinian Youth Movement stated, “There were over 300,000 of us on the streets of Washington DC to stand with Palestine. Now we will be millions on the streets, campuses, and workplaces of cities across the entire globe. We will not stop fighting until Gazans can live with dignity and Palestine is free!”

The November 9 Global Shutdown for Palestine is called for by the Palestinian Youth Movement, National Students for Justice in Palestine, ANSWER Coalition, The People’s Forum, International Peoples’ Assembly, Al-Awda-NY, and Palestinian American Community Center (PACC) - NJ.

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