LOS ANGELES — As the Israel-Hamas war enters its second month, protests around the world show no sign of stopping.
At UCLA, hundreds of demonstrators, like Shareef Abumuhor, an organizer with pro-Palestinian group ANSWER Coalition, participated in Thursday's "Global Shutdown for Palestine," an international day of action meant to advocate for Palestinian causes.
“Ultimately, we are looking for, not just a ceasefire, but we need the siege on Gaza to be ended," said Abumuhor. "We need humanitarian openings to be open so that aid can get in, and ultimately we are here to fight for the liberation of Palestine. We want to see a Palestine that is free from occupation, free from settlements, and really just free from Zionist terror."
Abumuhor says protesting at UCLA is particularly important because young people want the institution to align with the idealogical character of its student body by divesting from any organization that may be funding expansionist Israeli projects in the West Bank.
Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks which killed roughly 1,400 Israelis, more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, an organization whose casualty information has been deemed broadly reliable by the United Nations and other international agencies. For Abumuhor, the information and images coming out of the region hit close to home.
“Currently, I do have family in the West Bank, in Bayt Jala," Abumuhor said. "Thank god everything is safe, everything is fine. Of course they’re stressed about the situation, they hear reports every day. They live right next to the wall, so the occupation is very real to them."
Abumuhor says he has been encouraged by the massive pro-Palestinian demonstrations across Los Angeles and the world.
Many pro-Israel folks have also made their voices heard at events like demonstrations on college campuses. On Tuesday, hundreds of Israel supporters marched through UCLA, demanding the return of hostages held by Hamas and chanting slogans like "let my people go," a reference to Moses' plea to Pharoah in Exodus.
Later that same day, the Israeli American Council, a pro-Israel nonprofit, hosted an event at the Saban Theatre centered around the 240 hostages currently being held by Hamas. Speeches by family members of hostages evoked deeply emotional responses in many in attendance. For daughter of Holocaust survivors, Batia Zimerman, listening to accounts of Oct. 7 reminded her of stories her parents used to tell.
“Jews are being killed and massacred, babies are being slaughtered," Zimerman said. "All the stories I heard at the Friday night dinner table but didn’t want to listen to, about their memories and what they lost, suddenly is here now."
Zimerman says the atrocities of Oct. 7 show that antisemitism is on the rise around the world and she is upset some countries and international bodies are not entirely aligned with Israel at this time.
Zimerman says being around other Jews and people who support Israel makes the grief somewhat easier to bear. Even still, she says the thought of child hostages keeps her and many others up at night.
“I want to know did they release them? How can a 6-month-old baby survive? What about the 3-year-old? I know their names,” Zimerman said.
As for Abumuhor, he says coming together in community has also helped supporters of Palestine manage the tremendous trauma of watching Israeli airstrikes kill thousands of civilians and children.
“Although you may not be in Palestine, some of us have family in Palestine, we have friends in Palestine, and I think being in community really shares that grief and ease that burden of going through this alone,” Abumuhor said.
Both pro-Israeli folks like Zimerman and pro-Palestinian folks like Abumuhor say coming together in the community is key to getting through these difficult times. With no end to the war in sight, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to refuse growing international calls for a cease-fire, protests around the world are expected to continue.