Palestinian soldiers fought against colonial forces during the Great Revolt. [Image: Wikimedia]
On 19 April 1936, thousands of Palestinians took part in a national uprising against the colonial administration of the British Mandate and the Zionist project which had gradually begun to occupy Palestinian land.
At the time, the settler-colonial state of Israel had not yet been established and Jewish people from around the world began entering Palestine following the statements put forth by Theodor Herzl wherein which he called for the creation of an ethnically Jewish state in Palestinian territory.
For three years, Palestinians protested, calling for an end to colonialism on their lands. The protest action affected all sectors of life including structures of business, communication, and governance. National committees who led the strike shut down Jaffa Harbour, Haifa Port, and the Palestinian Railway.
Workers and peasants were the cornerstone of the uprising as it spread across both rural and urban areas, and were able to sustain the revolt until 1939. Palestine women also played a vital role in the struggle, sending food and water to those in the mountains and smuggling in weapons hidden in the firewood.
The beginning of World War II in 1939 saw the end of the Great Revolt in Palestine.
Today commemorates 85 years since the beginning of the uprising against colonial expansion began, and Palestinians still continue to struggle against the colonial Zionist forces which continue to seize Palestinian land.
