Several Pro-Palestinian activists gathered in front of the Palm Desert Civic Center to protest the bombing and killing of Palestinian civilians on. On Nov. 1 protesters chanted “Free Palestine” and “No More Genocide” as cars passed by them, honking in solidarity. The protest attracted a wide range of individuals; children could be seen waving Palestinian flags while chanting.
“This is more than I expected for people to show up,” said one of the protesters there. The main message shared by everyone marching was clear: an end to the violence and occupation of Palestine.
Over a month has passed since Israel started its bombing campaign in Gaza, and more than 11,000 Palestinians, including women and children, have died.
“The conflict has been going on for 75 years,” said protest organizer Mohammad Salim. “If it’s not going to stop today, it will never stop”. The growing international call for a ceasefire from Palestinian rights groups like Jewish Voice for Peace has put President Biden and his administration under heavy criticism for refusing to call for a ceasefire. “If they want to stop the war, they should not be supplying Israel with weapons,” said Salim. In 2022, the US sent 3.3 billion dollars in foreign aid to Israel, and 99.7% went to the Israeli military.
“The media isn’t showing the truth,” said Salahaldeen Alwishah. “They’re not showing that Palestinians are in a prison.” Gaza has been under a blockade since 2007 and it has severely restricted humanitarian aid and essential goods from reaching Gazan’s. Following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, the Israeli government has cut off fuel, water and electricity to Gaza creating a humanitarian crisis inside Gaza. Pregnant women inside Gaza are now giving birth without proper care and hospitals are operating under the looming threat of being bombed. “The videos that we see on Instagram and TikTok from people that are in Gaza, why isn’t CNN showing that?” said Alwishah.
“I’ve seen it with my own two eyes,” said Duaah Wadi, a Palestinian who’s been to the West Bank. “I’ve seen the way they treat Palestinians; they’re rough with them, aggressive,” she said. Wadi has dual citizenship, and she explains how she is only allowed in the West Bank, and she has to cross three different borders to reach Palestine. “They can hold you for hours just asking the same questions,” she said. “They just repeatedly ask until they pressure you into not wanting to go in,” she added. Israel has been occupying more and more land in the West Bank and forcibly evicting Palestinians from their homes; the most famous incident was the Sheikh Jarrah occupation in east Jerusalem. In 2021, over 317 Palestinians were evicted from their homes in east Jerusalem.
“What Israel is doing is not legit,” said community member Will Rogers. “They’re trying to justify them killing innocent people by going after Hamas.” Rogers said how he did not support Israel’s bombing of hospitals and other public spaces.
There is another similar protest scheduled for Nov. 9 in downtown Palm Springs, where protesters will once again call for an end to the violence. Currently, Israel is preparing for a ground invasion of northern Gaza, an act that will further escalate the situation.
