On Wednesday, June 5, community members assembled in Market Square to commemorate the anniversary of Naksa — an event that took place in Palestine in 1967. The vigil was organized by several community organizations that came together to educate others about this day 56 years ago.
June 5 is the day of the Naksa which translates into setback or defeat. In 1967, Israel displaced Palestinians and absorbed the remaining Palestinian territory that was left to be taken with most of their territory already being occupied since 1948.
Mariam Atatrah, a community member in support of the movements for Palestine, spoke about the purpose of the vigil that was held Wednesday.
“This is a vigil to commemorate the Naksa and to recognize the violence never ended,” Atatrah said. “From the very beginning of Israel’s independence day in 1948 to 1967 to now, the violence has never ended.”
Those who spoke at Wednesday’s Vigil used their voices not only to remember this day in 1967 but also to speak out about what is happening on this day in 2024.
The majority of Gaza’s population is currently displaced under Israeli occupation. Since Oct. 7, 2023, Palestinians and Palestinian-supporting Knoxville community members have gathered to call for peace overseas.
Members of the Jewish Voice for Peace and the Anti-Zionists Jewish Community of Knoxville attended the vigil. Julie, a member of the organization who’s last name has been omitted due to safety concerns, was among one of the speakers at the vigil. She spoke about what it means for her to represent these organizations.
“We remember the Holocaust,” Julie said. “We remember the Nakba and the Naksa. …Never again means never again for anyone.”
The gathering of community members in support of liberation was felt throughout the crowd with words from a survivor of the Naksa to a poem written by a little boy whose family is still in Gaza.
The speeches were followed by a group of community members who gathered for an evening prayer.
On May 15, a vigil hosted on campus by The People’s School for Gaza was held for Nakba Day — the dispossenion of Palestinian land in 1948 prior to Naksa Day in 1967. The vigil ended in legal consequences for some community members due to a campus grounds policy.
“The university reacted quite harshly to our peaceful vigil,” Atatrah said. “Today is the second biggest tragedy. May 15 was our biggest tragedy. It was the anniversary of the 1948 displacement of over 750,000 Palestinians.”
Community members gather in Market Square in remembrance of Naska Day. June 5, 2024.
The location of the vigil for Naksa Day last night was due to the amount of community support being shown for Palestine and is not a result of the May 15 vigil held on campus.
The People’s School of Gaza has not organized any events on campus since summer session has begun. With no organized teachings or peaceful protests planned for the future, the organization still feels that its demands are far from being met by the university. The organization still plans to work towards educating the community and fighting for their demands through organized campus events.
“We are still very much invested in demanding that the university divest from death,” Atatrah said.
