ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI (KMOX) - Hundreds of demonstrators marched through downtown St. Louis Friday evening, calling for an end to Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory, and the U.S. military support to the Jewish state. They gathered at Eternal Flame Park, across from the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum, to wave Palestinian flags, hear speeches and pray. Many in the crowd wore the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh, or head scarf.
A woman named Naveen, of the group American Muslims for Palestine - Missouri Chapter, said what's been happening in the past week in Israel and Gaza is nothing new. Her group is calling for an end to "the Israeli occupation of Palestine." She says the U.S. involvement in the recent violence must also stop. "We are sending out annually $3.8-billion to the state of Israel, we fund these atrocities. We fund an apartheid system right now that mirrors Jim Crow. Israels and Palestinians cannot travel in the same airports, they can't drive on the same roads, they can't sit in the same schools."
Some of those marching for a change included members of the group Progressive Jews of St. Louis. Anna Ginsburg held up a sign calling to free Palestine. She says, "We believe that it's time to end the occupation. I think if the U.S. didn't pay for the Israeli weapons and the Israeli military, it would be a really different situation."
The march and protest lasted for a little more than an hour as Blues hockey fans were making their way to the nearby Enterprise Center. The demonstrators remained peaceful, and the numerous Metropolitan Police vehicles and officers kept their distance, occasionally coordinating with the marchers when they began to proceed down the street. The march appeared less about the recent violence that has left more than 200 Palestinians dead, and more about the ongoing situation in the Middle East that has extended for decades.
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