Palestinian Day in Los Angeles

Photo Essay by Pat and Samir Twair

Old-timers at the Los Angeles Police Department Academy said they'd never seen—or heard—anything like it as more than 3,500 spectators gathered on the academy's training field to watch two sky divers descend carrying huge American and Palestinian flags.

Saturday, Sept. 25, was designated the Festival of the Flags by Joe E. Bulos of Fullerton, who had worked more than one year to stage the event. Flags of 21 Arab nations lined the perimeters of the training field.

Hearing the strains of exotic cymbals and Arabic music and smelling the aromas of grilled kabob and falafel, some academy detectives asked if a wedding was taking place. When we said, "No, it's the celebration of the Palestinian flag," they replied: "Cool." We urged them to come and sample the hummos and baklava. They did.

It was the first time we had witnessed so many Arab Americans at a single event. More than 50 booths circled the training field (bottom right), each emblazoned with a sign identifying it: Dar El Tifl Committee, Palestine Aid Society, Islamic Association of Palestine, Palestine American Congress, The Beirut Times, Al Bassa Cultural Association, Union of Palestinian Women, Bethlehem Association and American Druze Society to name a few.

Several Arab orchestras and singers performed on a stage (center right), its backdrop decorated with a mural of peace doves carrying the Palestinian flag.

At an appointed time, the huge crowd looked skyward and spotted an aircraft. The announcer on stage commented: "This is one time Palestinians can see a plane in the sky and not expect bombs." As one, two, three, four specks drifted from the airplane the crowd cheered wildly, then burst into a boisterous rendition of "Biladi," the Palestinian anthem, as the American and Palestinian flags became discernible.

Each flag measured 30 by 50 feet and seemed truly enormous as the divers drew nearer. Unfortunately, the sky diver carrying the American flag missed his target and landed in a nearby road, while the Palestinian flag gracefully floated to the center of the field amidst gleeful cheers. Eventually, the crowd carried each of the mammoth flags onto the field (top right), while another 500 people filled out 18-foot high letters forming the word PALESTINE.