CINCINNATI — Palestinian supporters gathered Saturday to protest the events currently in Israel — events that they say are taking place after decades of conflict. Many participants said they are pushing back against the notion that Hamas' attack was unprovoked.
Hundreds marched from Ziegler Park in Over-the-Rhine to Fountain Square.
Rally organizer Laila Shaikh, president of the University of Cincinnati chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, said people are frustrated over the lack of inclusion in local leaders’ statements of support for Israel.
“It does feel like there's a double standard going on,” Shaikh said. “We just really want to make sure our presence is known, that we are constituents of the city and we do want our voices to matter.”
Many protesters WCPO spoke with said Hamas' attack on Israel is a reaction to years of Israeli policy in the region.
“People wanting to fight and advocate for change, that does involve action and that does involve resistance,” Shaikh said.
Hamas has murdered and kidnapped citizens in Israel. Among those killed are 29 Americans, with 15 U.S. citizens still unaccounted for. President Joe Biden on Saturday denounced Hamas' actions while speaking at the 2023 Human Rights Campaign National Dinner.
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Shaikh said that “not everything they’re doing is perfect,” and that “oppressed people have the right to resist their oppressors.”
“We don't necessarily have any condemnation,” she said. “Because they're just a political faction group.”
Shaikh compared Hamas’ actions to the Israeli Defense Force’s actions, and said “it’s been very frustrating for us too.”
This weekend, the IDF is preparing for a potential ground offensive in northern Gaza. The U.N. reports that nearly 1.1 million Gaza residents have been told to evacuate, but many sit in the crosshairs, unable to leave.
“They're not just statistics. This is our family. This is our friends,” Shaikh said. “We've known and met these people and looked into their eyes.”
On both sides of the border, thousands of civilians are already dead. The Israeli government reports that 1,300 Israelis have died. The Gaza Health Ministry says 2,300 Palestinians have been killed. Those in Cincinnati acknowledged that this gathering won’t change the reality, but may send a message of support thousands of miles away.
There was no counter-protest in support of Israel that a WCPO crew observed. The crew did briefly see a sign that equated a Nazi symbol with that of the Israeli flag. Other protestors quickly condemned the sign and it was rolled up.
Rabbi Ari Jun of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Cincinnati said signs with that messaging are antisemitic. Jun also said those in the Jewish community generally believe that Hamas is the enemy of Israel, not Palestinians.
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