Through the Static

by Hannah Saunders

A heartfelt “Free Palestine,” mural featuring a poem and children flying kites, which rests on the Stonewall Youth building in Olympia, has been vandalized for the eighth time. Local artists and community members who refuse to accept Israel’s severe abuses of human rights have organized this mural, which represents rare moments of peace and freedom during genocidal terror and slaughtering of civilians, including children. Now, community members are calling on concerned residents to contact the Olympia City Council and Mayor Dontae Payne to issue a statement highlighting how this behavior and hate is not welcome in the city.

“The vandal, or vandals, have repeatedly defaced the mural with black, blue, and red spray paint, and even feces, writing hateful slurs on the wall. This mural is specifically targeted for its content, with spray paint used to censor the poem on the mural and to black out the faces of the children flying the kite,” according to Palestine Action South Sound.

The mural’s poem is “If I Must Die,” by Refaat Alareer, who Israeli forces murdered in an airstrike in 2023. Alareer wrote this poem to his daughter:

“If I must die,

you must live

to tell my story

to sell my things

to buy a piece of cloth

and some strings,

(make it white with a long tail)

so that a child, somewhere in Gaza

while looking heaven in the eye

awaiting his dad who left in a blaze-

and bid no one farewell

not even to his flesh

not even to himself-

sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above

and thinks for a moment an angel is there

bringing back love

If I must die

let it bring hope

let it be a tale.”

Just recently, Israel has banned kite-flying in Gaza, citing it as a potential act of war that may end in bloodshed, according to Truth Out. Those who destroyed the mural have also tagged “Am Yisrael Chai,” according to Palestine Action South Sound, which translates to “The People of Israel Live.”

Stonewall Youth is an LGBTQIA+-focused youth center that has been offering resources to low-income Queer youth, including those experiencing homelessness, since 1991. Its building survived the arson attack, as people were inside. Stonewall Youth has previously said that it has faced a huge amount of harassment and threats from the far-right, which threatens the safety of youth, staff, and other organizations that share the space. Previous property damage incidents include breaking door locks and windows, vandalizing the building, and targeting the “Free Palestine” mural.

The Free Palestine Olympia mural coordinating committee has also previously said that it cannot be certain whether these attacks are purely anti-Palestinian or anti-Queer, but it is likely both.

“Maybe it doesn’t matter, because no one is free until everyone is free,” the Committee said.

The Olympia City Council does not have a meeting scheduled until September 15— more than two weeks from now— so providing a public comment in the near time future is not an option. Email the council a comment at citycouncil@ci.olympia.wa.us now.

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