"Liberation movements fight against imperialism, not with it."
— Kwame Ture

We, the staff and leadership of Voice of the Experienced (VOTE), headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, on unceded Chitimacha and Chahta Yakni (Choctaw) lands, share this statement in solidarity with the people of Palestine.

The staff of VOTE, having collectively endured more than 400 years of incarceration, is a testament to the resilience of marginalized communities. Our ranks include descendants of enslaved African men and women brought to these lands by colonial powers, as well as the lineage of Jewish immigrants who escaped the pogroms of Russia, and children of immigrants hailing from occupied territories such as Northern Ireland and former colonies like India. Just as VOTE tirelessly fights for the civil and human rights of those ensnared by the racist and colonialist system of mass incarceration, we similarly stand with all those who seek to cast off the chains of oppression.

When one person has a boot on another’s neck, their pleas are not equal. The hardships endured by the Palestinian people, including the creation of a noncitizen class from those displaced, deaths sanctioned by both mob and law, the obliteration of entire communities to accommodate outside settlers, rendering Palestinian existence so untenable that they either seek refuge or witness their land reduced to rubble, and the mass incarceration of their people, are stark reminders of age-old racist and imperialist tactics. Whether by missile or tank, sniper or starvation, this is not a world humanity can accept. It is not one our representative government should support, whether through military weaponry or political cover. The U.S. must stop funding the boot. 

What is transpiring in Gaza in 2023 and what has been transpiring in Palestine since 1948 are harrowing echoes of history's darkest chapters. The world has vowed "never again," but far too often, when it serves the interests of the powers that be, it has been willing to turn a blind eye and say, "all right, one more time." Never again means never again.

We, the People of VOTE, make the following demands:

• Recognition of the ongoing genocide: We demand immediate recognition of the ongoing genocide in Gaza and throughout occupied Palestine. The world cannot afford to remain silent in the face of such grave injustice.

• End of US military aid to Israel: We demand an immediate cessation of US military aid to Israel, which perpetuates the cycle of violence and suffering and weaponizes our American tax dollars.

• Support for an immediate ceasefire: We urge our elected officials to unequivocally support an immediate ceasefire in Palestine. The preservation of human lives must take precedence over political considerations.

• Solidarity with Palestinian brothers and sisters: We stand resolutely in full solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters, who, like us, are fighting for justice, freedom, and the right to live without fear and oppression.

The struggle for liberation knows no borders. The fight against imperialism is a fight for the soul of humanity, and we are committed to standing alongside all those who seek to break the chains of oppression, regardless of where they may be.

—VOTE, Voice of the Experienced, From Chains to Change
November 2, 2023