Hundreds take to Minneapolis streets in protest of Israel's war in Gaza
MINNEAPOLIS — Hundreds of demonstrators hit the streets of downtown Minneapolis on Sunday to rally against Israel's war in Gaza, a day before Israel marks one year since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
"I thought last year would be a trend, people would stop caring, and that's not true," said Maysoon Wazwaz with American Muslims for Palestine.
Meredith Aby with the Anti-War Committee says she's concerned about the U.S. sending weapons to Israel in a conflict that's now left tens of thousands dead in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry.
"I do know that the places that I've visited in Gaza have been destroyed," Aby said.
In August, the State Department announced the U.S. approval of $20 billion in weapons, fighter jets and missiles for Israel over the next several years.
"We really feel like Israel would not be able to get away with this genocide if the United States, in particular the Biden administration, wasn't sending all these weapons," Aby said.
Here at home, Aby says people in Minneapolis are worried about their family members in the Middle East, in a conflict that's now expanded to Lebanon.
"They're very concerned about whether or not their grandmother, their brother, their sister, their aunt, their uncle are going to be even living tomorrow," Aby said.
Aby says they won't rest until the U.S. completely divests from Israel.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara announced on Saturday that extra patrols will be deployed at the city's synagogues ahead of the Jewish holy days and the commemoration of the Oct. 7 attacks in the aftermath of terroristic threats made against Temple Israel.