Families and children march for Palestine and demand PVD Children's Museum cut ties with weapons manufacturers

"We are running out of words to raise the alarm in strong enough terms or to articulate the scale of children's suffering..."

“The horrific impact of the genocide in Gaza is measured by the number of deaths, with over 40,0000 Palestinians - two-thirds of whom are women and children - killed in the name of ethnic cleansing,” said Asma Hameed to the large crowd of people gathered in the street outside the Providence Children’s Museum. Hameed is affiliated with Rhode Island Community Khayr (RICK), which provides mental health care for members of Rhode Island’s Muslim community. “Mental health experts now warn that the war-related trauma endured by Palestinians has started to present new and acute challenges that mental health frameworks are not nearly equipped to handle.”

“Palestinians are living in a ‘constant state of fear.’ The heavy bombing, military presence, hovering drones, and lack of control have impeded joy. Instead, thoughts are filled with impending doom or death,” continued Hameed. “Nowhere is the impact of mental health trauma and illness more apparent than among Palestinian children. It is estimated that more than a million Palestinian children require mental health and social support in the Gaza Strip according to UNICEF.”

On Saturday afternoon in Providence families with children led hundreds of people in a march for Palestine, followed by the installation of a public altar honoring the lives of the more than 31,553 people who have been killed by the Israeli occupation forces since October 7th. Protestors demanded that the Providence Children's Museum, as well as other non-profit and cultural institutions including the Providence Performing Arts Center, end their relationships with Rhode Island-based Textron, Electric Boat, and all other weapons manufacturers who profit from the genocide of Palestinians.

The Providence Children’s Museum did not respond to a request for comment.

Starting at Textron’s downtown headquarters at 40 Westminster Street, children led the march with banners and flags to the museum, stopping at the Providence Performing Arts Center, another Textron partner. Salma and Jude, the two young co-hosts of the march, led the group in chants and art-making along the route. Other young leaders shared poetry and spoke out against the horrors of genocidal violence being inflicted on Palestinians, including more than 12,500 children from October 7th to February 26th.

Speakers at the start of the march outside Textron and outside the Children’s Museum emphasized that the Museum violates its mission to serve children by accepting funding from companies whose products are used to slaughter children. The Providence Children's Museum has accepted at least $15,000 from Textron and at least $10,000 from Electric Boat's Employee Community Services Association in the past two years.

Hameed continued:

“Palestinian children in Gaza do not by any means live typical lives. They have been forced to witness their family members and loved ones being humiliated and killed.

“These innocent children are experiencing a high level of depression. Tell me, how can they not?! Children in Gaza are having vivid nightmares in response, some wet their beds, while others can only find temporary relief by screaming, while more children begin to have responsive mutism.

“‘In every tent we inspect, we find children who compulsively suck their fingers, wet their beds, suffer from speech difficulties, lose their appetite, have nightmares, cannot sleep,’ said Dr. Arafat Abu Mashayikh, head of the mental health department at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balan.

“These children are trapped, with no safe place to go.

“Palestinians are being starved from the imposed famine by Israel. They are forced to salvage for food and clean water. But there is none. Children are suffering from malnutrition and death due to malnutrition and hunger.

“Trauma, anxiety, fear, hopelessness, and starvation. These are the daily overwhelming feelings experienced by our Palestinian mothers, sisters, brothers, and children. And it does not end there.

“For many children, the loss of family members has exacerbated the trauma because the only support mechanisms that would help them cope with the conflict have been killed. Who? Their parents! Last November, medical NGOs like Doctors without Borders shared that the number of children in Gaza without any surviving family members was so high that a new acronym was coined. This acronym is "WCNSF" (Wounded Child No Surviving Family).

“Jason Lee, Save the Children's Country Director for the occupied Palestinian territory has said, and I quote, ‘We are running out of words to raise the alarm in strong enough terms or to articulate the scale of children's suffering.’

“Let's not forget, that Israel has made it a point to bomb all Mental Health facilities in Gaza!

“The symptoms of secondary trauma include intrusive thoughts of upsetting and unwanted thoughts or images, sleep disturbances, physical signs such as nausea or aches, and suicidal ideation. These young children are forced to ask questions they should never have to ask themselves. They question their identity, self-worth, and their sense of self. The global reverberations include increased Islamophobia and hate crimes in schools, playgrounds, and workplaces. If this is not resolved on a global scale, it will not be resolved on a local scale, leading to everlasting repercussions on generational mental health, which will impact society, the economy, and the well-being of the larger community.

“The culture of Islam is like a body. When an arm is injured or hurting, the whole body feels the pain. We call on you, oh elected officials: Save the children. Save humanity. We demand a permanent ceasefire now!”

Organizers write:

“Even while experiencing starvation and immense suffering, the Palestinian people have continued to observe Ramadan, modeling sumud - steadfastness - for the entire world. Israel cannot steal their perseverance.”

“By cutting ties with war profiteers, the Museum will set a precedent that pressures other cultural institutions like PPAC and the Roger Williams Zoo to do the same. Textron and Electric Boat don’t donate to the Museum because they care about kids. They donate because they get tax breaks. We want Rhode Island institutions to stop doing business with war profiteers who enable the Israeli settler colony in their genocide and occupation of Palestine.”

At the Children’s Museum, children arranged an altar with flowers and paper Birds of Gaza to commemorate those who have been killed.

The march was organized by Rhode Island for Palestinian Liberation and co-sponsored by the AMOR Network, Binch Press / Queer.Archive.Work, Jewish Voice for Peace - Rhode Island, SISTA FIRE RI, Showing Up for Racial Justice, and the Wide Awakes Collective.