International Women’s Day event in Orlando raises nearly $1000 for Palestinian fundraiser, fills venue

Orlando, FL – On March 8, the Orlando district of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) held a spoken word and trivia fundraiser to commemorate International Women’s Day and gather the Orlando community in the face of recent attacks on women. The slogans raised at the event were “Defend Women’s and Reproductive Rights,” “Stand with the Women of Palestine” and “Stop the Deportations! Keep Families Together.”

Cassia Laham, member of FRSO Orlando, kicked off the event by explaining the history of International Women’s Day and the current situation of women stating, “Today, women of all sectors of society face renewed attacks by the forces of reaction, with Trump and his cabinet full of abusers and women-haters leading the charge against our rights.” She continued, “Just as we fought before, we will fight again!”

Other speakers focused on varied topics. Rasha Mubarak of Florida Palestine Network spoke of the struggle of Palestinian women, and two teenage organizers with the Farmworkers Association of Florida discussed the impact of deportations on their community. Chants of “When immigrant rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” rang throughout the building.

Vanessa Christaldi of the University of Central Florida Students for a Democratic Society read a poem focused on the ownership of one’s body and the inspiration of women resistance fighters. “What is the right way to have a body? And more importantly, what is the right way to assert that I am more than that?” She ended her poem with an acknowledgment that all of the rights women have today, both domestically and internationally are won through struggle, not simply given.

After the speeches, an International Women’s Day-themed trivia, hosted by Sarah of Feisty Trivia, was held with proceeds going to the Palestinian Motherhood Society. The Florida Palestine Network sold tatreez with proceeds also going to the Palestinian Motherhood Society. The total fundraised was announced as $920, with cheers from the audience.

The co-sponsoring organizations were the Florida Palestine Network (FPN), the University of Central Florida Students for a Democratic Society (UCFSDS), The End to Genocide Coalition (ETGC), The Farmworkers Association of Florida (FWAF), and the Palestinian Feminist Collective (PFC). The trivia was led by Sarah of Feisty Trivia, Orlando’s Only Female-Owned Trivia Company. The event was a broad multi-generational event filled with community members and organizers commemorating International Women’s Day.

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