In Portland, protesters gathered in front of Portland City Hall to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Demonstrators want the Portland City Council to urge the Biden administration to demand a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitate Palestinian access to humanitarian aid.”We’re hopeful that they will lead the charge for Maine politicians to stand up for what’s right and to call for an end to this genocide,” said rally organizer Mary Cook.More than 11,000 Palestinians have died since the start of the Israel-Hamas War. Israel is America’s closest ally in the region. The U.S. has sent $260 billion in aid since World War II, and the Biden administration has promised to support Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas. Protesters in Portland are calling for an end to that support. “None of them had said anything about a ceasefire,” said protester Madison Furst in reference to Sen. Angus King and Rep. Jared Golden. “So, I want to make sure that they hear us and know that we voted for them, and they need to listen to what their constituents want.”They say that American tax dollars are helping to fund attacks that are killing innocent civilians, but supporters of Israel say they have to stay on the offensive until Hamas has been defeated. “We want peace, peace can’t happen until Hamas is gone,” said Ashley Inbar, the director of development at the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine. Members of Maine’s Jewish community traveled down to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to join thousands of people who marched to demand support for Israel. “The ceasefire talks are just futile,” Inbar said. “They’re pointless. It won’t solve anything except more Jewish lives will be lost, and the potential for Israel as an entire nation to not exist anymore is really, truly on the table.”Protesters back in Portland disagree. Rally participant Nori Hilton is an anti-Zionist Jew who believes it’s possible to celebrate Jewish identity while condemning Israel’s actions. “It is not the Israeli government seeking out Hamas,” Hilton said. “It is the Israeli government reining terror on an entire group of people.”Some Portland council members have expressed support for a ceasefire, but it’s unclear whether or not the demands will be considered at a future meeting.
In Portland, protesters gathered in front of Portland City Hall to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Demonstrators want the Portland City Council to urge the Biden administration to demand a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitate Palestinian access to humanitarian aid.
“We’re hopeful that they will lead the charge for Maine politicians to stand up for what’s right and to call for an end to this genocide,” said rally organizer Mary Cook.
More than 11,000 Palestinians have died since the start of the Israel-Hamas War. Israel is America’s closest ally in the region. The U.S. has sent $260 billion in aid since World War II, and the Biden administration has promised to support Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas.
Protesters in Portland are calling for an end to that support.
“None of them had said anything about a ceasefire,” said protester Madison Furst in reference to Sen. Angus King and Rep. Jared Golden. “So, I want to make sure that they hear us and know that we voted for them, and they need to listen to what their constituents want.”
They say that American tax dollars are helping to fund attacks that are killing innocent civilians, but supporters of Israel say they have to stay on the offensive until Hamas has been defeated.
“We want peace, peace can’t happen until Hamas is gone,” said Ashley Inbar, the director of development at the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine.
Members of Maine’s Jewish community traveled down to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to join thousands of people who marched to demand support for Israel.
“The ceasefire talks are just futile,” Inbar said. “They’re pointless. It won’t solve anything except more Jewish lives will be lost, and the potential for Israel as an entire nation to not exist anymore is really, truly on the table.”
Protesters back in Portland disagree. Rally participant Nori Hilton is an anti-Zionist Jew who believes it’s possible to celebrate Jewish identity while condemning Israel’s actions.
“It is not the Israeli government seeking out Hamas,” Hilton said. “It is the Israeli government reining terror on an entire group of people.”
Some Portland council members have expressed support for a ceasefire, but it’s unclear whether or not the demands will be considered at a future meeting.
