Seattle Hosts Rally in Honor of Turkish American Activist Killed by Israeli Forces

Seattle, The Gulf Observer: Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Westlake Park on Saturday to honor Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish American activist who was killed in an Israeli attack during an anti-occupation protest in the occupied West Bank. The demonstration was held one day after Eygi, 26, was fatally shot by Israeli forces while participating in a protest against illegal settlement expansion in Beita, near Nablus in the northern West Bank.

Protesters chanted slogans condemning Israeli actions and held signs with messages such as “Aysenur Eygi Martyred For Palestine Rest in Power,” “Justice 4 Aysenur,” “Today We Are All Aysenur,” and “Resistance Is Not Terrorism! Free Palestine!”

According to Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas, an autopsy confirmed that Eygi was killed by a bullet to the head from an Israeli sniper. Eygi had been actively involved in solidarity movements supporting Palestinian rights, and her death has ignited calls for accountability from both local and international communities.

Born in Antalya, Türkiye, in 1998, Eygi emigrated to Seattle with her parents, Rabia Birden Eygi and Mehmet Suat Eygi, when she was less than a year old. She graduated in June from the University of Washington, where she pursued studies in psychology and Middle Eastern languages and cultures.

The protest in Seattle reflects the widespread outrage and grief over Eygi’s death and her commitment to advocating for Palestinian rights.