CHAMPAIGN — Nearly 200 people marched through downtown Champaign Tuesday after Israel resumed air strikes in Gaza, breaking a temporary ceasefire.
Protesters marched from West Side Park on city streets into the downtown and back. The Champaign Urbana Muslim Action Committee, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Urbana Champaign Jews for Ceasefire organized the event.
“We’re out here today to firmly say no to U.S. backed and U.S. financed Israeli genocide of Palestinians,” said Dua Aldasouqi, a local Palestinian and a member of CU MAC.
The air strikes killed over 400 Palestinians — almost half of them children.
The ceasefire came to an end as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that Hamas release all remaining hostages from the Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
Aldasouqi said that she’s frustrated but is determined to speak out against U.S. support for Israel.
“[I]t’s being done so with 100% green light from the White House, from our politicians, with nobody saying genocide is wrong,” she said.
“We had two months of quote unquote ceasefire, although during that time, Israel violated the ceasefire over 900 times,” Aldasoui said, referring to a claim from the media office in Gaza. “Israel has returned to its indiscriminate bombing of Gaza.”