Last night at 2640, nearly 80 people turned out for a night of music, poetry, education, support and solidarity for the utter crisis that has been imposed upon the Palestinian population living within the Gaza Strip. The event was organized and held in reaction to the most recent Israeli assault and attack upon the Palestinians living within that city. As one attendee mentioned, "It is not a war... how is it a war when bombs are being dropped on a population of people in a prison?" This attack has created a massive outpouring of support and solidarity from all over the globe, demonstrations and events have been held to not only show the Palestinians that they are not alone in their struggle, but to also show those powers and institutions behind this brutal attack that the Palestinians are not the only group that struggles against them.

Even with extremely short notice and quick planning (only a few days), along with a bone chilling rain that soaked the evening, a great turn out with great warmth and energy attended the event. The evening was hosted and MC'd by Dave Zirin, Sports Writer, Radical Historian, and Activist. Chants of Bella Ciao were sung by a Kurdish Duo, Koma Agir, that performs Kurdish resistance music, anti-war toe tapping folk songs sung by Baltimore's Ryan Harvey, fist pumping from the rhymes of Baltimore's Son of Nun, and the potent poems of Palestinian Sabrina Da Witch all brought energy to the room. Along with the the music there was a 20 min. open mic that gave a soapbox to upcoming actions and events, reciting of the influential Mahmoud Darwish poetry, and calls to donate money to a Gazan hospital.

All and all people from all over the spectrum of social strata attended with constructive anger and compassion. while enjoying and sharing food, drink, and music people connected to show their support, a support and sympathy that does not manifest or root itself in a paternalistic or sheer charitable way. It is a support that finds similarity by common struggles, common enemies, and common oppressions.

Hopefully similar events can be reproduced with as much excitement, energy, and compassion for Baltimore's Gazas, for the prisoners and casualties of Baltimore's wars and for the social injustice that faces not only our distant neighbors, but our immediate neighbors as well.