Fifth Sun Project and Nevadans for Palestinian Liberation Host 3rd Annual ‘Loverz Affair – La Raza 4 Gaza’
On February 25, Fifth Sun Project and Nevadans for Palestinian Liberation, two Vegas-based organizations, collaborated to host the third annual ‘Loverz Affair.’ The event flyer stated that this Loverz Affair would be ‘La Raza 4 Gaza Edition.’ La Raza 4 Gaza focused on raising awareness, solidarity, and funds for Palestinians.
La Raza 4 Gaza brought local vendors, performers, and artists together to support their community and unite against Palestinian oppression. These vendors sold jewelry, clothing, food, and other items alongside one another. Lowrider vehicles also sat in front of the entrance for a car show and contest.
‘Loverz Affair – La Raza 4 Gaza’ Vendors
Almost every stand at the event contained handmade goods that drew the crowd in. People immediately resonated with the fact that all vendors resided in Las Vegas.
Chef Louies Vegan Food
One vendor providing food for attendees stood near the entrance and filled the air with a delicious aroma. Chef Louies Vegan Food creates authentic plant-based Mexican cuisine for the community at an affordable price.
The menu consisted of Tamarindo Lemonade, Loaded Nachos, Chick Pea Tostados, and Al Pastor Tortas. Chef Louie prepared and served the dishes to everyone who ordered from him. His dedication to his craft kept people waiting in line to try the food for themselves.
Though Chef Louie is a street vendor, he can also be found at Down 2 Earth Plant-Based Cuisine, selling tacos every Tuesday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. His special menu consists of Carnitas Tacos and Fish Tacos. Find Down 2 Earth Plant-Based Cuisine in Town Square at 6599 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Suite B-209.
Check out Chef Louie’s Instagram, which showcases all of his unique food creations, and visit the Down 2 Earth website to see the restaurant’s menu.
M&M’s Creations
M&M’s Creations sold hand-crafted crochet items, including hats, keychains, toys, and fabric aprons. The vibrant colors and recognizable characters made the pieces stand out. Ella stated that her mother crocheted every piece and her uncle crafted the aprons, while Ella sells the merchandise.
“My mom was a child when she learned to crochet; my grandma forced her to learn, but she started selling about ten years ago,” Ella said. “I do events for her because she has a normal job where she regularly sells at, so I would just pop up places here and there.”
Follow M&M’s Creations on Instagram to see their collection.
The proceeds made from the crafts went to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
According to Al Jazeera, the United States recently cut funding for the UNRWA under unverified “terror” allegations. The agency provides Palestinian refugees with education, health care, and other services. The defunding of the UNRWA severely affects the 2.2 million people living in Gaza who desperately need humanitarian assistance.
Ella described how the ongoing genocide impacts her daily.
“It’s heartbreaking, it’s horrifying, it’s terrible, my chest hurts like it bleeds,” Ella said. “I want to cry every night thinking about it. Sometimes, I go back and watch videos of what Gaza looked like before it was destroyed, and every time, I cry.”
Wood Liva
Wood Liva displayed beautiful woodwork ranging from crosses, spoons, figurines, rosaries, bracelets, and home decor. All the woodwork is made in Palestine from olive wood trees that grow on the land.
The vendor, Shehd, explained that the pieces get sent to her directly from Palestine due to the lack of work. Al Jazeera reports that employment decreased by two-thirds in Gaza and one-third in the West Bank since October 7, 2023. The high poverty rates existed long before Israel’s declaration of war, leaving thousands of Palestinians to rely on international aid.
The man who crafts the wood, Lolus, carefully carves and assembles the items. Shehd said that while Lolus sends her some woodwork, her aunt mainly sells the items on his behalf.
“Some of the pieces, like the crosses, have [been] blessed [with] holy water as well as the actual dirt from the holy land,” she said.
Some crosses even incorporated beautiful borders made from mother-of-pearl. And all the crosses featured a metal sculpture of Jesus.
The profits from the wood go to Shehd’s aunt and Lolus, who cannot work and must supplement their incomes.
“What’s happening right now in Palestine is obviously very tragic, but at the same time, people are not giving up,” Shehd said. They’re finding ways—avenues to live, and just like the olive wood we have here, our roots are engraved in the soil that we live in, so it’s going to be very hard to uproot us.”
Visit Wood Liva on Facebook to check out their other woodwork carvings.
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Fifth Sun Project Fights for Justice
FSP’s Work in the Community
Fifth Sun Project began eight years ago by three WOC founders who focused their organization on assisting different causes. Fifth Sun Project stands by the motto, “Small acts can make huge differences.” The grassroots organization supports global and local injustices via mutual aid and heightening awareness.
Eztli Amaya, one of the Fifth Sun Project co-founders, says the three started by hosting house shows and benefitting a cause with each concert. The idea of gathering various forms of expression led to the creation of the Loverz Affair.
“Whether that be music, cars, live art, food, or just different cultures, all kind of mixing together amplifying locals and raising that awareness of community building,” Amaya said.
Funds raised from La Raza 4 Gaza benefited the Street Vendors Relief Fund and UNRWA. For the past two years, the Loverz Affair has raised proceeds for FSP’s Street Vendor Relief Fund, which helps street vendors and undocumented families. The fund provides resources and microgrants to low-income people and families. They also host an annual event called the Street Vendor Sonidero to raise funds for street vendors.
A Focus on Palestine
Amaya explained that La Raza 4 Gaza emerged after wanting to uplift undocumented and Latino communities with Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim communities.
“[For] the last four months, we’ve been organizing directly with NPL, which is the Nevadans for Palestinian Liberation,” Amaya said. “We’re basically at the core [of] organizing every Palestinian-led activity here in Vegas, and we wanted to keep the focus on that.”
NPL has led several protests and rallies over the last few months on the Vegas Strip in large, peaceful groups. The increasingly growing crowd gather to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after six months of continued air strikes. With a reported death count of 32,333 as of 3/25/24, Gazans suffer daily with little to no intervention from worldly leaders. While the UN just passed a temporary ceasefire resolution, Israel has continued striking Gaza, including refugee camps in Rafah.
The level of injustice and terror happening in Gaza quickly united people around the world to stand in solidarity and speak out against the genocide. Amaya notes that everyone must come together to fight against oppression against Palestinians.
“We’re all in a resistance fight; we’re all at the roots of depression because it’s been made [that way] for marginalized people, people of lower class, [and] people that have been systematically displaced,” Amaya said. “We need to just reflect and understand this is all one doing of a harmful system that is imperial colonialism, capitalism, and white supremacy.”
Why La Raza 4 Gaza Matters
With an array of talented vendors and artisans present, attendees found no shortage of activities. Performances from Raow Raow, a collective of five artists, lit up the crowd with each member’s unique sound.
The stage stood next to NPL and FifthSunProjects’ booths, where they sold merchandise to raise funds for mutual aid. After selling raffle tickets for the past two years, this year’s Loverz Affair commissioned artists to sell their designs. La Raza 4 Gaza successfully raised $1,200 for the Street Vendors Fund and UNRWA.
#GetinMotion with Fifth Sun Project and NPL
Fifth Sun Project and NPL both work incessantly to promote protests, rallies, and events that all fight for a free Palestine. History shows time and time again that change comes from communities gathering to end injustice.
Follow Fifth Sun Project on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and check out their Link Tree for other information.
For more resources and information, follow Nevadans for Palestinian Liberation on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and their Link Tree.
To learn more about the genocide happening in Gaza, you can also read some of our other articles, which contain additional information, resources to take action, and suggestions of other pages/creators to follow in the liberation movement.
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