[Event attendees dance dabke to traditional Arabic music played by The Brooklyn Nomads.]
On January 11, 2025, CODEPINK NYC held our monthly Pop-Up for Liberation. This community event combines art, music, culture, and political education to raise awareness about Palestine and other US/western imperialist projects, build community, and promote healing. The pop-up on January 11 was our first one indoors and at King of Falafel in Astoria, an unapologetically Palestinian restaurant and community space serving delicious, authentic Palestinian street food. We had amazing live music by local artists The Brooklyn Nomads and a talented music collective with Reem Yafz, Kuli, Tee-Q, and Tone Chacon.
[Inside King of Falafel Astoria, community members enjoyed music by Reem, Tee-Q, Kuli, and Tone Chacon while eating delicious Palestinian street food.]
We also had beautiful, revolutionary art by artists Gerard D’Albon and T as well as a thought-provoking panel discussion led by Bronx Antiwar Coalition about US/NATO imperialism in West Asia, some of the tools used by western empire to destabilize the region, and the importance of unity to thwart imperialism.
[Community members view handmade artwork by Gerald D'Albon and T.]
[Bronx Anti-War Coalition presented a panel discussion for the community about US/western imperialism in Palestine and broader West Asia as well as some of the common tools of imperialism that the west uses to destabilize the Global South.]
CODEPINK NYC’s Pop-Up for Liberation series started during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2024. It was inspired by the Palestine is Everywhere autonomous group’s pop-up campaign in NYC. We “adopted” privately-owned public spaces near the UN and renamed them to represent designated safe zones in Gaza that Israel attacked, namely Kamal Adwan Hospital, Jabalia Refugee Camp, Al-Tabeen School, Al-Shifa Hospital, Nuseirat Refugee Camp, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, and Al-Mawasi Safe Zone.
[CODEPINK volunteers perform at the adopted Al-Mawasi "Safe Zone" space in front of Bank of America during the UNGA to remind UN delegates of their duties to end the Gaza genocide.]
[Raging Grannies perform at the adopted Al-Tabeen School space near the UN during the UNGA while volunteers handed out literature to UN delegates and community members passing by.]
[Krys reads "Identity Card" by Mahmoud Darwish at the adopted Al-Mawasi "Safe Zone" space near the UN during the UNGA.]
We occupied these spaces on several days during the 3-weeks of the UNGA and high-level meetings, providing community programming with art, poetry, street theater, live music, and teach-ins as well as handing our flyers to passersby with information about the genocide in Gaza. The goals were to 1) raise public awareness that nowhere was safe in Gaza, even internationally-designated safe zones and 2) remind representatives and staff of UN member countries who passed by our pop-ups that they need to uphold their responsibility to punish and prevent genocide after the preliminary ICJ ruling that Israeli was plausibly committing genocide in Gaza. Several media outlets and government officials and political figures, including John Kerry, passed by our pop-ups.
[Krys gives a teach-in on Haiti and the connections between Haiti, Palestine, and the police state in the US.]
[Artist Clew reads an excerpt from the Gaza Monologues by Ashtar Theatre as part of a street performance but together by Ash M for the adopted Kamal Adwan Hospital space near the UN.]
[Jodie thanks the Gaza Monologues cast and CODEPINK NYC organizers for their work on the pop-up series before reading her monologue.]
After the conclusion of the UNGA, The Brooklyn Nomads expressed interest in partnering with CODEPINK NYC to continue these pop-ups in different communities around New York City to continue raising awareness and building community. We did a few more outdoor pop-ups along with the Raging Grannies and other artists before the winter weather set in, including public spaces across from Lincoln Center in Manhattan, in front of Khalil Gibran International School (near the Brooklyn Academy of Music) in Brooklyn, and across from the Israel Mission to the United Nations in Manhattan.
[Community members sit to enjoy traditional Arabic music played by The Brooklyn Nomads and learn about the genocide happening in Gaza across from Lincoln Center in Manhattan.]
[Raging Grannies perform their original pro-Palestine songs for the community across from Lincoln Center.]
[CODEPINK NYC members showcase their anti-imperialist feminist artwork in front of the Khalil Gibran International School in Brooklyn.]
Now indoors, we are having these events in working class communities at popular community spaces with a focus on providing political education that is accessible and digestible in addition to community building and healing through art, music, and culture. Our political education “curriculum” is currently focused on discussions about Palestine from an anti-imperialist lens and connecting Palestine to parallel struggles against imperialism in the Global South. We are hoping community members will walk away from our events with a deeper understanding of the extent of US/western imperialism and its impact on communities abroad and at home, actions community members can do locally to make a difference, information on local resources and services, an appreciation for local and global art and culture, and closer ties with their community.
[Freddie, owner of King of Falafel, gets emotional as The Brooklyn Nomads sing a traditional Palestinian lullaby for the community members.]
For more information about the pop-ups or CODEPINK NYC, please contact Nadia at [email protected].