On the campus of UC San Diego Thursday, a group of students rallied to raise awareness of the pain they say Palestinians have faced for decades.
Some carried flags while others had signs that read, “Free Palestine.”
“A lot of our Palestinian friends on campus are struggling with the deaths of their families, friends and neighbors,” said one student.
The students expressed a need to come together in this time of conflict.
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“We’re trying to be here to support one another and commemorate the lives that were lost,” another student said.
Summer Ismal, one of the event organizers, said she has a family friend stuck in Gaza.
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“No electricity, no water, no internet and they are all huddled in this one building,” said Ismal. "And building by building around them is falling.”
The group of students took part in a moment of silence and prayed for their Palestinian loved ones.
A small group of pro-Israel protesters showed up with their own message. But overall, the rally remained peaceful.
Thursday's demonstration followed an emotional vigil held earlier this week in which thousands of people gathered to support Israel and San Diego's Jewish community.
At Thursday's event, though, demonstrators said both Israelis and Palestinians have suffered at the hands of the Hamas. They're urging leaders not to turn a blind eye to all Palestinians.
“Our community is enduring an indescribable trauma and our togetherness at this moment is essential,” said a different student.
They hope others acknowledge that they, too, are hurting.
“The only thing we can do is pray and it's so sad, it's disheartening, it's heartbreaking knowing there's nothing we can do,” said Ismal.
