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CHICAGO – More than 200 businesses and schools in the Chicagoland area are closed Monday to honor the thousands of Palestinians who have died in the ongoing conflict with Israel over the past two months.
Businesses in the Chicagoland area and across the country are protesting to call out the Palestinians killed in Gaza, the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine said.
Almost 18,000 Palestinians have died since the start of Israeli attacks on October 7, most of them women and children, the Gaza Ministry of Health said.
About 1,200 Israelis were killed in the first attack by Hamas, which Israel was reportedly aware of a year earlier, the New York Times said.
According to Aljazeera, people are being forced to skip work and school – and seven schools in the Chicagoland area are following suit.
Schools participating in the event:
- Aqsa School
- Al Majd School
- Alajyal School
- Kindi Academy
- Multaqa Academy
- IQ training
- Altayseer School
Nadia Ismail, principal and teacher at Aqsa School in Bridgeview said the decision to protest came as the US approved a humanitarian aid concession to Gaza in a UN resolution 13-1.
“It was a call from the journalists in Gaza. They published the story,” said Ismail.
Ismail also said that students gather for prayer to develop empathy and allow them to manage their emotions, while protesting allows them to make a change.
“Our students are seeing children being pulled out of rubble, destroyed buildings, and we don’t want them to feel helpless,” said Ismail.
Supporters planned to halt all aspects of public life by refraining from spending money, including going to restaurants, banks and shops in an effort to raise support for the Palestinian cause and force governments to call for a stop.
Haraz Coffee House, a Yemeni coffee house with nine locations across the country, including one in Orland Park, said it will close all locations on December 11 in solidarity with the Palestinians. .
Running list of local businesses participating in the protest:
- The Nut House USA Two Locations (NJ and Bridgeview)
- Melt N Dip USA
- White Chicken and Pizza (two locations)
- Cake N Bake
- Modern Wall Systems
- Wet Car Tires
- National Furniture Dealer
- Meat Moot
- Snack & Shake
- Ghawar Restaurant
- Falafel Abdu & Hamouda
- Vida Boba
- La Crepe Cafeccino
- Restaurant of Hashem
- Bayt El Hijab
- Itqan Fashion
- Eagle Sports Opportunity
- Cleopatra Jewelry
- Pali Dress
- Cello Cafe
- Hakuna Matata
- Harlem Foods
- Jawahir Jewelry
- Ottoman gifts
- Inside the furniture
- Alsalam Market
- Turmusaya Jewelry
- Eiffel Waffle (ALL LOCATIONS)
- Joe Fades Barber Shop
- Prince Sweets
- Sharks Fish & Chicken, Ifa mountain
- Jabri Grill
- Alquds Services
- Yallah Mansaf
- Hello Shawarma
- Hello Hookah
- DB Comparison
- Home Furniture
- Melt Munch
- Orland Market and Flour
- Alpha Construction Services
- Titanic furniture
- Strong Glass and Wood
- Baba Saj
- MNM Drag
- Ice Death
- Selma’s Sweets and Frozen Treats
- Alameer Fresh Nuts
- House of Knafa
- Jimmy’s Fish and Chicken
- Sem Sem
- Mango Fish and chicken
- Dawd’s New Market
- Important Furniture
- Booza LA Michoacana
- Al Hamawi
- 5 Star Furniture
- All State Sewage and Water
- Mecca Jewellers
- Beesan Mart
- Naqsh Fashion
- Cellular Depot
- Mega Furniture Outlet
- Omar Basha
- Mashawee Guys
- Flash Electrical Solutions
- Halal kitchen
- Central Auto Group
- Albayan Grocery
- Combined Furniture
- US Furniture and Carpets
- House of Qahwa
- Yasini Jewelers (all locations)
- Hum Hum Chicken
- Musk Jewelry
- Sami Studio
- Chocolate bars
- Stone Creek Inn
- JJ fish and sharks in Westside Chicago
- Middle East Market
- Ali Baba Market
- Eve Fit
- Great Trip
- Winz it is
- Selena’s store
- Firefly Burger
- Four AAAM Brothers
- Fatoush Burger
- Star Auto Repair
- #1 Tobacco and Vapes
- Alnour Supermarket
- Great Shawerma
- SS tires
- Save tax knowledge
- Turat
- Old School Restaurant
- Sal’s Philly Steak
- Palestine Bakery
- Albasha Market
- Sami Studio
- Vehicle Capital
- Harvey Construction
- Family Food Inc
- Lojeen Inc
- Lojeen warehouse Inc
- Petite Autosales Kenosha
- Sweet Jerusalem
- Luxury Furniture
- One House Furniture and more
- cut gold
- Alquds Supermarket
- Xtreme Cuts Barbershop
- Ayat Furniture
- Fish Kabob
- Zeena Designs
- Turkish Style US
- Reesha Publishing
- A Date with Mail
- Order Lawn Party Rentals
- Good Construction
- Bancho Liquidators
- iDesign and Publishing
- FillAPita
- Yaffo Towing
- Dijla Food
- Sweet Jerusalem
- West Coast Cheese
- Palestine Thob
- Parakeh’s Journey
- Complete Purchase
- ThoubyTatreez
- Perfume Essence
- Peter field
- Ambers Furniture
- Alwalaa Bakery
- Super Hajj LTD
- Five Star Chicago Tobacco
- Sprinkle
- Bahaa Auto Group
- Happy Years (Ogden and West)
- CAIR Chicago
- Association of Arab American Women
- Coffee Haraaz
- Alquds Orchard
- The Burrito and Phillysteak Auto
- Fisherman’s Island
- Automotive Center (Blue Island)
- Auto Center (Chicago)
- Kwik Stop Sam & Stop
- Furniture Store
- Falafel Dream (North Chicago)
- Fatoush
- Yafa Inc
- Boba Heaven (Oak Lawn, Tinley, Palos, Mokena, Willowbrook, Elmhurst, Village)
- Asal Bee
- Cash for Gold
- Fashion and Beyond
- The Nile Restaurant
- Alameera road
- Adam’s Store
- Qamaria
- Chicago Ridge Community Pharmacy
- Albawadi Grill
- Alpathia
- Tandoori Restaurant
The Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine is expected to hold a meeting at 2:30 pm in front of Bridgeview businesses participating in the protest.
We know that not everyone can live as ‘business as usual’ so it is important to address the needs of the community,” said Ismail.