Southwest Virginia Coalition for Palestine

The Southwest Virginia (SWVA) Coalition for Palestine is a left-of-center, anti-Israel group that was one of several dozen endorsers of the January 2024 March on Washington for Gaza rally. 1

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At-A-Glance

Type: Other
Ideological Alignment: Left of Center
Issue Areas: Foreign Policy

Contents

    Background

    The Southwest Virginia Coalition declares that it is “committed to solidarity with the Palestinian liberation struggle” and “recognize[s] that Zionism and the Israeli state it supports are both founded in ethnic cleansing” and considers Israel’s actions in Gaza “overt genocide.” 2 The group is part of the DC/MD/VA Coalition for a Free Palestine. 3

    Initiatives

    Southwest Virginia Coalition for Palestine advertised an event entitled “Stop Elbit for Gaza” every last Friday of the month starting July 25, 2025, which was the most recent event on its Instagram as of June 2026. 4

    In June 2025, the group held a pro-Palestine rally at Market Square in Roanoke. 5

    In July 2024, the group attempted to raise $1,250 to cover the legal fees of Roanoke-based activists whom the group claims were arrested before “a peaceful anti-war protest in Blacksburg.” 6

    The SWVA Coalition for Palestine held a “March for Rafah” in May 2024 in response to Israel calling for airstrikes on the Gazan city. 7 The group also created a petition no later than May 27, 2024 calling on the Roanoke City Council to “put forth a resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Palestine and Israel.” 8 The petition claims “Roanoke City residents are directly impacted by the ongoing violence.” 8 As of June 2026, the petition had garnered 569 signatures. 8

    In December 2023, the group held a vigil for Gaza in Elmwood Park in Roanoke. 9

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    References

    1. “Endorsers.” March on Washington for Gaza, 30 Dec. 2023, march4gaza.org/endorsers/.
    2. “March on Washington for Gaza.” March on Washington for Gaza, 2024, march4gaza.org/.
    3. “DC/MD/VA Coalition for a Free Palestine.” DC/MD/va Coalition for a Free Palestine, 2019, www.dmvfreepalestine.org/va-for-palestine. Accessed 7 June 2026.
    4. SWVA Coalition for Palestine. “@Swva.coalitionforpalestine on Instagram: “EVERY LAST FRIDAY 4p Outside Elbit on Plantation Road, Roanoke…” Instagram, 23 July, 2025, www.instagram.com/p/DMdSVuOxCYk/?img_index=1.
    5. “Group Gathers in Roanoke to Rally for Palestine.” WSLS, 15 June 2025, www.wsls.com/video/news/2025/06/15/group-gathers-in-roanoke-to-rally-for-palestine/.
    6. “@Swva.coalitionforpalestine on Instagram.” Instagram, 18 July 2024, www.instagram.com/p/C9kGmNuu_wX/. Accessed 7 June 2026.
    7. Robertson, Hayden. “Southwest Virginia Coalition for Palestine Holds March in Response to Rafah Airstrikes.” WSET, 28 May 2024, wset.com/news/local/southwest-virginia-coalition-for-palestine-held-march-in-response-to-airstrikes-in-rafah-israel-hamas-war-middle-east-tensions-roanoke-star-city-27-may-2024. 
    8. Southwest Virginia Coalition for Palestine. “Sign to Support a Roanoke City Resolution for a Permanent Ceasefire.” Action Network, 2024, actionnetwork.org/petitions/sign-to-support-a-roanoke-city-resolution-for-a-permanent-ceasefire?source=direct_link.
    9. Lowndes, Rhian. “SW Virginia Coalition for Palestine Holds Vigil for Gaza in Elmwood Park.” WFXR TV, 25 Dec. 2023, www.wfxrtv.com/city-of-roanoke/sw-virginia-coalition-for-palestine-holds-vigil-for-gaza-in-elmwood-park/.