Pro-Palestine marches took to the streets of Downtown Phoenix to protest Israel’s starvation of

the Gaza Strip.

A sea of Palestine flags waved in the sky; the crowd of over two hundred supporters marched
down the sidewalks. “Free Free Palestine!” echoed off of the skyscrapers.

The protesters were calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East; and bringing attention to the
starving people on the Gaza Strip due to Israel's surrounding of it.

The Associated Press said Israeli forces are cutting off food supplies from entering the Gaza
Strip, and leading people in Gaza to starve to death.

“We need a ceasefire now,” Mohammed Riyad spoke to the crowd of protesters before the
march on Sunday afternoon, “starving people to death is a crime.”

Riyad is one of the leaders of PACC-Action, an activist group that supports the country of
Palestine.

Riyad helps plan marches and other events that PACC-Action holds around Arizona.

There is no war in Palestine, according to Riyad. He sees it as complete genocide.

“154 days of murder, starving, torture and humiliation,” Riyad said.

154 days ago from Sunday, Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, directed a terrorist attack on
Israel.

Hamas killed over 1,200 people on October 7th, 2023, making it one of the deadliest terrorist
attacks in history according to the Center For Strategic & International Studies.

President Biden offered military aid and the support of the United Nations to Israel after the
October 7th terrorist attack.

Many PACC-Action protestors mentioned their displeasure with President Biden’s support to
Israel.

“My tax dollars are paying for the genocide of my people,” Sarah Jankins, a Palestinan
American, said.

Jankins said she feels guilty and angry with The United States decision to support Israel.

“We won’t vote for Genocide Joe,” hundreds of protesters chanted as they marched the
sidewalk, “Genocide Joe has got to go.”
Jankins said she wanted the protest to spread awareness to others unfamiliar with the current
situation in the Middle East.

The protestors marched from Civic Space Park on Central Ave up to the crossroads of
Roosevelt St and Third St and back.

Rami Nawgal, another protestor, held both a Palestine flag and a Lebanon flag.

Nawgal said he was born in Lebanon, and felt sympathy for Palestinians.
Lebanon and Israel are currently in conflict, and have had a history of war with each other.

“This is a humanitarian issue,” Nawfal said.

Nawfal said the genocide of Palestine is nothing new, and said too many people look at the
attack of October 7th harshly, but forget about events like the Nakba in 1948.

Nawfal also said that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not view Palestinains as
human life, quoting the Prime Minister’s deleted message on social media platform X:

“This is a struggle between the children of light and the children of darkness, between humanity
and the law of the jungle.”

PACC-Action demanded government officials and President Biden to call a ceasefire on the
Gaza Strip.

The group Revolutionary Communists of America showed their support for Palestine by
marching alongside PACC-Action.

Nawfal was happy with the turnout of protesters at the march. He said there would be more
supporters if it were not for Downtown Phoenix’s lack of parking.

Nawfal plans to continue attending other marches in the future, until a ceasefire is declared and
the people of Gaza are fed.

“We will not be complicit with genocide,” Nawfal said.

Sources:
Mohammed Riyad 480-228-8035
Sarah Jankins sarahlittleone@gmail.com
Rami Nawfal ramignawfal@gmail.com