Demonstrators in Oakland demand cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war
OAKLAND -- As violence continues in Israel and Gaza, the political arguments on both sides are complex and long-standing but, at a rally in Oakland Sunday morning, the demand was simple and immediate: A cease-fire to stop the killing of Palestinian children.
The rally at Oakland's Splash Pad Park was meant to be a family affair but the rain turned the paint on a sidewalk mural into what looked like blood. It was a chilling reminder of what has been happening in Israel since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. After hundreds of civilians were slaughtered and kidnapped, Israel's military has responded with missile attacks on heavily populated areas in Gaza.
Images of the devastating bombing attacks prompted Sarah Norr to organize the protest and march.
"I just called this together on my own because I'm the mom of a young child and I'm a Jewish mom," she said. "So, when I see those children in Gaza and I see their photos, I see my own child and I think 'what if that was me?' And what would I want the world to do if that was me in that situation?"
To be sure, there were protesters in the crowd like Fadi Saba who were focused on the long-standing dispute over Palestinian autonomy.
"It's really important when people are under brutal occupation for them to be free," Saba said. "And that's what we want."
For others, the demand was less political and more humanitarian: stop the bombings in Gaza to protect the lives of children.
"There's a state with a military that has planes and it's bombing civilian and residential areas and there's children who are being killed and that's wrong," said Oakland parent Sushil Jacob. "We need to stop. That's why we're calling for a cease-fire because we need to save human life."
The protesters believe the United States holds the key to convincing Israel to end the bombings and allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Still, for those involved in international politics, nothing is simple. Pres. Biden has expressed remorse over the civilian deaths but also supports Israel's right to protect itself. On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on CBS Face the Nation that Israel is forced to take this action because Hamas has purposely located its war machine inside populated areas.
"Its senior leaders, its weapons, its tunnels -- all are co-located in residential buildings. They're buried underneath hospitals and schools. It knew, that, in Israel's necessary response, civilians would be caught in that crossfire. It's the last thing we want to see. It's imperative that every step be taken to protect them but what does anyone expect Israel to do?" Blinken said. "Israel has to do everything it can to make sure this doesn't happen again. Freezing things in place where they are now would allow Hamas to remain where it is and to repeat what it's done some time in the future. No country could accept that."
Others refuse to accept what's happening in Gaza.
"What do we want? Cease-fire! When do we want it? Now!" yelled a young boy with a bullhorn. At the rally, children were given a lead role but organizer Kaedan Peters, with the Bay Area Family Solidarity Network, admits that can be controversial in a situation like this.
"A lot of people wonder about it," she said. "People don't want to talk to their kids about it because they're worried about making them scared or they're worried about how it's going to come across or, if you're putting your politics onto your kids, things like that. But you talk about it in a way that can help them understand so, as they're growing up, they can access it. They know what's going on. And then they can start figuring things out for themselves."
A lot of people are trying to figure out what's happening in the Middle East and you don't have to be a child to be scared by where it all may be heading.