Through the day Sheffield, in commemoration of the great March of Return, women walked through countryside and city and converged on the Peace Gardens for a moving vigil and celebration of Palestinian women followed by an evening meal where we heard moving testimony live on zoom from women in Gaza.
In the Peace Gardens, we lay flowers and candles in commemoration and we heard statements from some of the women who had been supported by the Sheffield Palestine Women’s Scholarship Fund. And then Tadhamon, Sheffield’s solidarity choir together with members of Sheffield Socialist Choir, sang We will not be silenced , during which Diane read out a moving tribute to, and words of solidarity with, Palestinian women, recognising their steadfastness and centrality to the struggle for liberation. The poem is included below.
Women of Palestine by Diane McKinlay
Women of strength and spirit
Women of dignity and pride
Women of love and generosity
Women of Palestine …
Warrior women
Fighting for their lives
Fighting for their families and homes
Fighting for their place in the world
Women of Palestine …
Women longing for peace
Women yearning for a normal life
Women fighting for basic human rights
Never failing, never flinching,
Never giving up, never defeated
Women of Palestine …
We see your horror, your despair and desperation in the face of endless oppression
We share your rage, your anger, your determination to fight back
We are in awe of your resilience, steadfastness and courage
We are women of Sheffield
We will share your story
We will speak your truth
We will sing your song
We will not be silenced
