Several dozen demonstrators occupied a corner of Fowler Avenue and 56th Street Saturday afternoon to show support for Palestine.
The group, lead by several peace and Islamic organizations, wanted to bring another side of the story to light about the unrest between Israel and Hamas.
Chris Ernesto of St. Pete Peace says Israelis have been the aggressor after shooting a mentally ill man and a 13-year-old boy earlier.
“Hamas did not start the current conflict, as Israel, the U.S. and western media insist,” said Noor Salhab of The Islamic Community of Tampa. “In addition to the devastating and illegal Israeli economic blockade on Gaza, on November 4th Israel killed a Palestinian man near the Gaza border, a man reportedly to be ‘mentally unfit’ and unarmed. The killing of a 12-year old Palestinian boy who was simply playing soccer followed this unprovoked attack.”
Yesterday in Sarasota, pro-Israel demonstrators called for the end of violence against Jews. All this comes as a fragile cease fire between Hamas and Israel cautiously works it's way through its second day following 8 days of dealt violence along the Gaza Strip.
Sponsors of this event included Friends of Human Rights, St. Pete for Peace, The Islamic Community of Tampa, Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, The Refuge, NatureCoast Coalition for Peace and Justice, and the Green Party of Florida.
For more information visit the St. Pete for Peace website.