A rally and march was held in downtown Chicago Friday mark what pro-Palestinian organizers said was the “victory” achieved by the ceasefire in Gaza after 11 days of fighting.
That recent conflict was sparked by days of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa mosque. Heavy-handed police tactics at Al-Aqsa and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers had inflamed tensions.
Then on May 10, Hamas militants in Gaza fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem. Continued rocket barrages brought life to a standstill in much of Israel but were seen by many Palestinians as a bold response to perceived Israeli abuses in Jerusalem, the emotional heart of the conflict.
In Chicago, hundreds of protesters gathered in Congress Plaza Garden, at Ida B. Wells Drive and Michigan Avenue. Various activists, politicians and religious leaders spoke, including U.S. Rep. Marie Newman.
From there, they marched north n Michigan toward Wacker Drive.
So far, the conflict has left more than 250 dead — the vast majority Palestinians.
Contributing: Associated Press
