This massacre is one of many atrocities committed in 1948 and thereafter, and which forced Palestinians to leave their homeland. The rallies and marches on April 7 are intended to draw the public's attention to the plight of the refugees, human rights abuses and suffering inflicted on the Palestinian people. They are also intended to send a strong signal of support to Palestinian Christians and Muslims who continue to suffer human rights abuses under Israeli occupation. More than three hundred and fifty Palestinian civilians have been killed and over 11,000 injured by Israeli forces in the past few months. A majority of these injuries and deaths have been of refugees.
Palestinian refugees represent the oldest and largest refugee population in the world.
Today, there are more than 5 million dispossessed Palestinians, a number equivalent to the population of the state of Maryland. The suffering of refugees is magnified by Israel's continued denial of their legal, historical and legitimate rights to repatriation and restitution as required by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions and United Nations Resolution 194. In September 2000, thousands rallied in Washington D.C., London, and in the refugee camps in Palestine and Lebanon to demand the right to return. Invited speakers for the forthcoming rallies include Palestinian refugees, and national and international figures.