Pro Palestinian protesters aim to gain visibility at the Palm Springs Film Festival
Locals are gathering near the Palm Springs Film Festival for a protest to gain visibility for Palestinian people as the Israeli-Hamas War continues. They are protesting for a permanent cease-fire.
"We're choosing to protest this event because of the global visibility", says local activist Joshua Dunn. "Being politically active in the Coachella Valley is extremely difficult, for any number of reasons (the demographics, fear of retribution, lack of education, etc) so any work we do here is affected by that paradigm."
He believes the work of the Coachella Valley for Palestine group is giving the community a chance to see and hear the voices of Palestinians who are being killed during this conflict. "For 75 years the Palestinians have been invisible, to much of the world, and in particular to people in the United States," says Dunn. "They become visible in moments, when something explodes, or as in the case recently, when they are being killed en masse. But Palestinians need to be visible all the time."
Palm Springs Police Department shared their general preparations for these types of occurrences at big events like the Film Festival.
Safety and Respect for Constitutional Rights: Our primary goal is to safeguard the constitutional rights of individuals to peacefully assemble and express their views. We respect and protect the First Amendment rights of all citizens and understand the importance of peaceful protests in a democratic society.
Collaboration with Organizers: We are actively engaging with event organizers to understand the scope and intent of their gatherings. This collaboration helps us in planning and allocating resources effectively to ensure a safe environment for participants, spectators, and the general public.
Training and Preparedness: Our officers have received training in crowd management and de-escalation techniques. We are prepared to handle situations that may arise during these events with professionalism and restraint. Our approach is always to de-escalate any potential conflicts and avoid confrontations.
Interagency Coordination: We are working in coordination with other local law enforcement agencies to ensure a comprehensive security plan. This collaboration will enable us to respond effectively to any situation that may arise.
We have been tracking this conflict's impact on the community.
