CINCINNATI — Tri-State organizations gathered in Over-the-Rhine on Sunday — National Children's Day — to recognize the thousands of children killed during the war in Gaza.
The groups held a rally for peace in OTR's Washington Park, which featured an immersive art installation made up of 700 pairs of children's shoes that circled the park's gazebo. The shoes signified the more than 16,000 Palestinian children killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.
Catherine Ruehlman took her daughter Harmony to see the shoes and pay their respects.
"All these children gone for a way they have nothing to do with," Ruehlman said.
Ruehlman told WCPO 9 that she wanted to show her daughter how grateful they should be to have each other.
"It just sends shivers down my spine as a mother," she said. "That's the most sacred human right you can have."
Ruehlman said "every child deserves a chance to thrive."
Other than the immersive art installation, there was also food, a children's march and more at the rally, including educational stations from multicultural community partners.
Erin Fung, one of the organizers of the event, asked attendees to stand among the shoes and imagine each pair belonged to a young child.
"It's extremely frustrating as a mother to know so many children and families are being impacted by this," Fung said. "I think it's really important to recognize they are cherished and loved and that their lives are not expendable. That we really value every human life."
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