COLUMBUS, Ohio — Activists gathered in Goodale Park Sunday afternoon calling on lawmakers to demand a ceasefire and the end of occupation in Gaza. Hundreds of people of all ages gathered to show their support for this cause.
"We feel like we are being silenced by everyone,” said Mazen Rasoul, a Palestinian-American.
"What people are supporting here is freedom, what people are supporting here is liberation, what people are supporting here is equality,” said Jana Al-Akhras, another Palestinian-American.
Members of the crowd held signs and chanted messages they hoped were heard throughout the city of Columbus and beyond, as they showed support for Palestinians in Gaza.
"People have lost family members, entire infrastructures have deteriorated, 97% of the water in Gaza is not suitable for consumption,” Al-Akhras said.
"We feel like it's our obligation in this country to try to stop this,” Rasoul said.
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas War more than a month ago, more than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed. Palestinian officials claimed most of those deaths were children, healthcare workers and journalists.
"Emotions are heightened and people are feeling more anxious, and they have a right to feel more anxious because there has been an increase in Islamophobic hate crimes as a result,” Al-Akhras said.
"Many people in this crowd are scared from what's happening and the amount of dehumanization and mischaracterization of what we are even out for has put us all at risk in this country,” Rasoul said.
Following the speeches during the rally, the group marched from Goodale Park through the Short North, chanting and holding their signs up high.
The protestors said they also hope their choice to continue to rally sends a message to the younger generations to fight for what they believe in.
"I hope they take away that when you see something that is so clearly wrong and you can understand it from just a humanitarian and a moral perspective, that it's brave and it's encouraged to speak out," Al-Akhras said.
Al-Akhras added anyone looking to support their cause should contact their local representatives to ask that they demand a ceasefire in the war.