Cookout brings community together for Palestine

PALI Coalition, alongside several other local organizations, held a community cookout in Heckscher Park last Saturday, Sept. 19. Starting at 2 p.m., all were welcome to mingle with local activist groups and creatives in solidarity with Palestine while enjoying an assortment of food brought by the community itself.

A buffet of dishes promised that there was something for everyone. Vegan lentil salad, hot wings, quiches, burgers, donuts, cookies, and salads were just a fraction of the foods. A Palestinian stuffed cabbage dish, Malfouf, was flipped as a crowd watched, highlighting the Palestinian tradition.

PALI Coalition, standing for Palestine Action Long Island, had a clear vision when it came to the cookout.

“A group of us came together and decided that we should do an end-of-summer cookout progressive event to unify all different types of organizations, political leftists, political parties, any groups that are progressive so that we can get as many people in the progressive left together as possible,” Paloma Bahi, who helped PALI Coalition bring the event together, shared.

PAL Coalition founding member Farhana Islam reiterated the moral mission that the group aims for. “We want to reaffirm our commitment to seeing a liberated Palestine, and this event really is just a reminder that Palestine is the compass; we’re always working towards liberating Palestine, which will result in liberation for all of us.

Other local activist groups were tabling at the cookout as well. Degrowth Long Island, an environmental group, is focused on collectively slowing down consumption.

“We are like going past planetary boundaries in every direction. So, a lot of that is due to the consumption of fossil fuels, but a lot of it is due to this concept that we have to keep growing economically,” Degrowth Long Island member Laura McKellar said.

Currently working on growing their organization, they’ve been getting other local groups to practice more sustainability. Groups like the New York Communities for Change, Brookhaven Landfill Action & Remediation Group (BLARG) and the Long Island Progressive Coalition are similarly focused on community betterment through organizing environmentally minded individuals.

Humanitarian aid group Baitulmaal collected donations for relief in Palestine and Sudan, with the money going towards supporting schools, bakeries, medical centers, and hot meals in both countries.

Political groups tabling at the cookout were groups such as the Party for Socialism & Liberation and the Long Island Democratic Socialists of America, looking to get more community members involved in their upcoming events.

Local jewelry crafter For the Love of Laurie also sold wares at the cookout in support of The Retreat, donating 10 percent of their profits to victims of domestic violence. A raffle held throughout the event also had proceeds towards Prosthetics for Palestine.   

Live music from local activists played for picnic tables full of progressives who showed up for the cookout. Along the way, these guests visited different progressive groups’ tables where they could sign up for newsletters and events, ultimately bringing the cookout’s vision to life.