Small world

On Saturday, July 12, during the annual Slice of Chico sidewalk sales promotion, there were more than the usual number of pedestrians roaming the downtown streets. There also were more than the usual number of participants in the weekly peace vigil held at the intersection of Third and Main streets.

About two dozen people showed up at the vigil co-sponsored by the Chico Peace and Justice Center, the Palestine Action Group and the Chico Peace Vigil, which asked people to register their objections to what is going on half a world away between the Israelis and Islamists in the Gaza Strip. Longtime peace activist Emily Alma spread word of the gathering.

The protesters are calling for the United States to not support Israel in the recent exchange of rocket fire from Islamist group Hamas aimed at Israeli cities and Israel’s response with air strikes that have killed more than 200 Palestinians.

The latest trouble in this volatile region of the world was sparked by the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers in June, followed by the capture and slaying of a Palestinian teen soon after.

Alma—who went on a three-week trip to the West Bank, Israel and the Golan Heights three years ago—is a regular at Chico’s weekly peace vigil. She said many of the folks who took part on this day were people she had never seen before.

“We used the Internet, plus we’ve gone on a couple of KZFR shows” to get the word out, she said. “Also, I think people are here because they know about the peace vigil and they showed up today because they are so moved by it and what’s happening.”

This marked the second Saturday in a row in which the protestors specifically focused on what is going on between Israel and Palestine.

“Our intention,” Alma said, “is to continue at least as long as the siege of Gaza continues with this terrible bloodletting that is happening now.”

Specifically, the protesters are trying to alert passersby about new developments in an age-old political trouble spot.

“We decry all violence,” Alma said. “We choose nonviolent approaches to dealing with conflict. We also see Israel as being the main aggressor here.”

She said the United States should not be backing Israel financially or politically.

“The United States is so much behind this,” she said. “Whatever Israel does is backed up by over $3 billion a year of taxpayer money. And the United States’ official statement is that Israel has a right to defend itself, as if Palestinians don’t have a right to defend themselves as well.”

She mentioned the kidnappings and murders of Israeli teenagers that set off the turmoil.

“Of course that is terrible. Nobody wants to see children terrorized and killed—but to assume it was Hamas and blame all Palestinians, ransack hundreds and hundreds of homes and kill many Palestinians …”

On the other hand, she does not condone Hamas’ launching of rockets into Israel in response because it escalated an already bad situation.

“We are here to say, ‘End the violence.’ We are here to say, ‘Israel: Stop being the terrible bullies that you are.’ They need to end the occupation and the United States needs to end support of the occupation.

“Particularly, we are asking the United States government to demand that Israel restrain their actions and start treating the Palestinians with justice and respect or there will never be peace.”

She said there have been both positive and negative reactions to the protesters and their signs.

“We have people, who have stopped as they are walking by, saying, ‘Yes, I feel really strongly about this.’ And when I was unloading signs I had somebody say, ‘What about the rights of Israel?’

“I am sympathetic with the innocent Israelis who have those sirens going off and have to run for shelter. I wouldn’t want to be those people either and I don’t support Hamas shooting rockets into Israel.”

A man pushing a child in a stroller looked inquisitively at the sign holders as he crossed Third Street walking north along Main. When asked his thoughts about the protest, he squinted and shook his head.

“Right now,” he said, “I have no idea. I can’t really comment.” And he continued walking.

Alma said the protestors will continue to show up every Saturday as long as the trouble in the Gaza Strip continues in an effort to educate people about the problems there.

Another man, who later identified himself as Bryan Nolan, told one of the protesters the message they were delivering was wrong. Nolan, a retired firefighter, explained to the CN&R that he was in the Marines and stationed in Saudi Arabia 30 years ago.

“It’s total instability in that part of world,” he said. “They hate each other and we expect them to get along? It’s not going to happen.”