Pro-Palestinian protesters block downtown Raleigh streets
A pro-Palestinian protest blocked the streets in downtown Raleigh on Sunday.
The protesters gathered on East Hargett Street near Moore Square and Marbles Kids Museum.
The protest had more than 150 people involved.
According to a Raleigh police officer at the scene, police blocked the road after protesters attempted to use a vehicle to lead the march down the street. The officer said the protesters normally inform police of their route so officers can block traffic to keep people safe, but protesters did not inform police of the route this time.
Protesters eventually left the truck behind and were allowed to continue marching.
"Nothing will stop us," said Abdullah Khadra, a participant in the march. "Nothing will stop us until this genocide stops. We are humans. We see human beings being killed for no crime, for no reason.
"These are innocent humans [and] innocent children."
Organizers said the protest is in response to "United States backed aggression on Yemen aimed at helping Israel continue its assault on Gaza."
Israel declared war on Hamas, the militant group in control of Gaza, after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 – killing 1,200 Israelis. The ensuing war has killed more than 20,000 Palestinians, many of whom were women and children.
Protesters have gathered at Moore Square many times in the months since the attack, demanding a ceasefire.
"The U.S. war machine wants to punish Yemen for refusing to allow the waters off their coast to be used to sustain the genocide against Palestinians," said Noor Abualhawa, a Palestinian community member, in a statement sent to WRAL News. "The U.S. and western imperial powers bombing Yemen is a direct violation of Yemen’s sovereignty and an extremely dangerous escalation."
