On October 28th, hundreds of people made their way through London demanding the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to call for a ceasefire to the war between Israel and Palestine. Pro-Palestinian protesters in New York marched onto the Brooklyn Bridge while others filled Grand Central Terminal urging for an end to the conflict. Even here in Arizona, there have been protests in Downtown Tempe of up to 1,500 people and a rally on October 25th in the University of Arizona Mall.
Israel announced war after an attack by Hamas in which they took about 240 people hostage and killed approximately 1,400 people. The resulting military retaliation by Israel has resulted in thousands of deaths. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that the death toll among Palestinians has already passed 10,000, most of which are women and children.
Many protests have been held by the Students for Justice in Palestine, a national organization affiliated with more than 250 clubs across North America, calling for an end to the violence. The SJP chapters at the University of Arizona and Arizona State University both held multiple protests, which were joined by numerous people. At ASU’s community rally on October 21st, an ASU alumna from 2020 called Leena said, “We are simply asking for humanity. It’s not much to ask for our people not to get killed… The people in Gaza don’t get to grow up and they don’t get to reach the age we are at now, advocating for ourselves.” (The State Press) Another attendee from this rally was Anahit Kirakosian, a Mexican-American community leader. She expressed that “the Palestinian struggle is not isolated; it is a part of a larger interconnected web of pain and injustice. The struggle of the Palestinian people is connected between all people of color… the challenges of immigration, discrimination, and injustice.” Additionally, she said that “by acknowledging the struggle of the Palestinian people, we take a vital step towards justice for everyone. It is through the strength of our collective struggle that we can make a lasting difference for the Palestinian people and the greater cause of global justice.”
Even though the war between Israel and Palestine is occurring on the other side of the world, it does not fail to have an impact on the people of Arizona. Mike Bradley, a coordinator for the Arizona Palestine Network who participated in the Downtown Tempe protest said, “I’m really saddened by all the violence…Our tax money shouldn’t be used to support the oppression of other people.”(Arizona Mirror) All the fighting also has a negative effect on students here at Chandler High School. When asked about how the conflict has impacted him and others, Issa Abdalrahman, a student from CHS, said “family’s there, so obviously really an emotional effect and also the kids there…” This is very true, as the deaths of so many innocent people, both from Israel and Palestine, are profoundly saddening.
