Palestine supporters in Philly protest media coverage of Israel-Hamas war

More than 200 supporters of Palestine rallied in Center City, closing down Market Street Thursday, to criticize news coverage of the ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas, following the militant group’s surprise assault at the country’s southern border on Saturday.

The attack — perpetrated primarily on unsuspecting civilians, many of them in their homes, some at a music festival — left more than 1,000 Israelis dead and scores taken hostage, in what is considered the deadliest day in the country’s history. U.S. officials on Thursday said 27 Americans were among the dead and 14 were missing.

Israel’s leadership has, in turn, pledged to eliminate Hamas, launching a full-scale bombardment of the Gaza Strip, home to over 2 million Palestinians.

The war has spawned several demonstrations around the region. On Sunday, around 220 people participated in what organizers from the Philly Palestine Coalition called an “emergency solidarity rally” in Center City. The following day, more than 1,000 people gathered at a Jewish community center in Wynnewood to mourn Israeli victims of the assault. Next week, more than two dozen Jewish organizations have planned a Philadelphia march in support of Israel for Monday, starting at City Hall at 4 p.m. and continuing to Independence Hall, for a rally with songs, messages and prayers of unity.

At Thursday’s demonstration, protesters, and a contingent of counterprotesters waving Israeli flags, gathered near Independence Hall around 1 p.m., chanting “Free Palestine” and waving Palestinian flags. The group’s march began at the offices of public radio station WHYY, and ended outside of the building where The Inquirer has its newsroom at Sixth and Market Streets.

There, organizers called on the media to amplify news of deaths of Palestinians as a result of Israel’s retaliatory bombing campaign and historic conflicts in the region.

More than 1,500 people have been killed as a result of Israeli bombing, Palestinian authorities say, and hundreds of thousands displaced. Meanwhile, Israel continues a “complete siege” of the territory until its hostages are returned, blockading food, water, electricity, and medical supplies.

» READ MORE: Residents of Philly region grieve for loved ones in Israel and Gaza as war intensifies

“There’s a lot of pervasive bias in Western media, not just what is happening now, but what has been happening for 75 years,” said Nada Abuasi, an organizer with the Philadelphia Palestinian Solidarity Coalition, which includes pro-Palestine organizations from local colleges and social justice groups.

Rachel M., a French Palestinian living in Philadelphia who asked that her last name be omitted for security concerns, said she was “angry and horrified” that Israel’s bombing campaign has left so many dead in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas effectively retains control.

“Palestinians’ lives matter, they are not subhuman,” she said.

Indigo Jordan, a 23-year-old from Philadelphia, said pro-Palestinian supporters had been looking for an outlet to express themselves since Saturday, and that he was excited about Thursday’s turnout.

Law enforcement officials from multiple agencies were present during Thursday’s rally, which remained peaceful.

Standing on the outer edges of the protest Thursday was Joel Sweet, a 60-year-old Philadelphian who silently held up a wooden stick bearing both the flags of Israel and the United States.

Sweet recalled living in Israel during the early 1980s at a kibbutz located not far from the site of Hamas’ initial assault, where militants killed over 200 civilians attending a music festival early Saturday morning.

“I believe in Palestinian rights,” Sweet said, mentioning that he’d like to see Egypt help Palestinians safely flee the Gaza Strip. “I also believe Israel has a right to eliminate Hamas.”

Protesters suggested their own vision of a resolution: They called for Israel’s blockade of Gaza for more than a decade to be lifted immediately, and for the return of Palestinian-claimed land, among other demands.