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Palestine Day gathering in Providence unfolds as voters weigh Question 7
Food, music and cultural traditions marked Rhode Island’s third annual Palestine Day in Providence on Oct. 24. The gathering came as supporters and critics debated Question 7, which voters will decide Nov. 3.
Food, music and Palestinian traditions brought people together in Providence on Oct. 24 for the third annual Rhode Island Palestine Day, as a city ballot measure on human rights and municipal investments remained a point of disagreement.
Organizer Reem Said-Awad said the gathering was intended to support Palestinians in the diaspora and in Gaza and to make Palestinian culture more visible. “We are a culture. We are a group that deserves this moment, that we deserve to be known and heard,” she said.
Democratic mayoral nominee David Morales attended and voiced support for Question 7. He said the measure would give Providence an opportunity to take a position on human rights and demonstrate “what it means for a city to take a stance and to have that sense of moral clarity.” Supporters say the proposal would align the city’s investments with its values.
Steven Baker, president and CEO of the Jewish Alliance of Rhode Island, questioned the proposal’s financial and community effects. He argued it would not ease humanitarian suffering and could target Providence residents whose identities or religious ties are connected to the region.
Providence voters are scheduled to decide Question 7 in the Nov. 3 general election.