Fourth pro-Palestine protest calls for end to airstrikes on Gaza
By Jeong Park
July 28, 2014 2:26 p.m.
About 80 pro-Palestine protesters rallied at the Federal Building in Westwood on Sunday afternoon, calling for an end to violence in the Gaza Strip.
The protest is the fourth pro-Palestine protest at the location in three weeks. On Friday, a couple hundred demonstrators prayed and rallied, calling for Israel to stop launching airstrikes on Gaza.
Both Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip for eight years and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, and Israel observed a 24-hour humanitarian cease-fire on Saturday. However, there has been little movement toward a long-term ceasefire in the region.
As of Sunday afternoon, 46 Israelis and more than 1,000 Palestinians have died since Israel launched its operation on July 8, according to the New York Times. Most deaths on the Palestinian side were civilians.
Khalid Majiadi, 47, said he came to the protest because he wants the region to find peace. He said he thinks Israel should end its blockade of Gaza and give more rights to Palestinians living in Israel. The blockade, which restricts people in Gaza from traveling outside of the region, has been ongoing for seven years, as Israel has said it’s necessary to provide safety for its citizens.
“Go to the source and resolve the problem,” Majiadi said. “Everyone has to be equal.”
Angélica Becerra, a graduate student in Chicana/o studies, said she is angry that Palestinian civilians are getting killed and hurt even though they did not participate in any attack on Israel. Becerra said she thinks supporters of Israel have been using Hamas as justification for attacks on the Gaza Strip.
“Hamas is a deflection strategy for a lot of pro-Israel people,” Becerra said.
Pro-Palestine protesters said they are planning to organize another protest next Sunday at the Federal Building. No pro-Israel protests appear to have been planned yet.
Compiled by Jeong Park, Bruin senior staff.
