“Free, free Palestine” could be heard from more than 100 protesters in Uptown Normal on Monday as they called for an end to Israeli military attacks in Gaza.
Attendees draped Palestinian flags over their shoulders and held handmade signs calling for change. The group also marched from the Uptown Circle to the Illinois State University campus.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 10,000 people have been killed in Gaza, a majority of them women and children. Nearly 25,000 people have been injured, and thousands are still missing.
This all started nearly one month ago, on Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked several communities in Israel, killing 1,400 people and kidnapping around 240 others.
Israeli forces launched an intense response that included a bombardment of Gaza from the air and a ground invasion, with the ultimate goal of eliminating Hamas.
“I just feel that it’s disturbing that such a powerful nation can just do what they want and attack innocents, especially women and children who face the brunt of war and war crimes,” said attendee Jolyne, asking their full name be withheld for their safety.
Farah Bassyouni, one of the organizers of the protest, is an Illinois Wesleyan University student from Cairo, Egypt.
“This is a space for people in the community who are for the liberation of Palestine, coming together so that they can raise awareness, call for a cease-fire,” Bassyouni said. “Very, very peaceful intentions, we’re trying to make it very clear that being for the liberation of Palestine does not equal being antisemitic.”
“This is not a Jewish versus Muslim problem. This is a humanitarian issue, this is a colonial issue, this is a genocidal issue,” Bassyouni said. "[There’s been] 70-plus years of oppression, colonial power, the millions of Palestinians that have been displaced, the thousands that are currently dying now. I think it’s very hypocritical to assume that we are guilty until proven innocent, that we don’t condemn terrorism and we don’t condemn the murder of innocent people. Of course we do. Why wouldn’t we?”
Bassyouni said while she understands Israel's fear, she said they have a lot of privilege in regards to comparing suffering to the Palestinians living in Gaza.
“The situations are not the same,” Bassyouni said. “There’s a genocide happening. People in Palestine don’t have access to water, medicine or electricity. People are dying, starving, there is no humanitarian aid, there is nothing, and that situation does not exist in Israel right now.”
Bassyouni said a cease-fire is the first step to preventing more deaths in Gaza.
“The people who are refusing a cease-fire are the West and Israel,” she said. “The people who are refusing to take in hostages are the West and Israel. Hamas wanted to return the hostages to Israel, Hamas wanted a cease-fire, the Palestinian people called for a cease-fire, we have all been calling for a cease-fire, but Israel and the U.S. refused.”
“Who is perpetuating all this death and war? It’s the people who are refusing a cease-fire — the U.S. and Israel,” Bassyouni continued.
The U.S. has called for a pause in the fighting to allow for the release of hostages and for more humanitarian aid to get to Gaza, but President Biden has stopped short of seeking a cease-fire.
NPR reports more than 250,000 Israelis have been displaced from their homes since the start of the war.
