More than 400 people gathered for a vigil in Balboa Park’s Organ Pavilion on Sunday to mourn the thousands of Palestinians who have been killed in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, according to the event’s organizers.
Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags, held candles and laid a bed of roses in front of a banner that referred to the killed Palestinians as martyrs. Lina Radwan, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement, read some names of civilians who have been killed, from a 5-year-old child to a university professor.
“These are difficult times that we are witnessing and the weeks and months to come will surely continue to be difficult,” Radwan said. “We have to remain steadfast and come together as a community.”
In the weeks following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 240 people taken hostage, Israel’s military has launched air and ground strikes on Gaza. The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 11,000, according to Palestinian health officials.
The Israel-Hamas war has exacerbated tensions in San Diego and other parts of the U.S., with many accusing public leaders and others of choosing sides in the war. Groups representing both the Jewish and Palestinian communities have reported increases in harassment and discrimination in the weeks following the Hamas attack.
Palestinian American Women’s Association called for the vigil, which was co-sponsored by the Palestinian Youth Movement, said Ramah Awad, an organizer with the San Diego for Palestine Coalition. More than a dozen other groups endorsed the event, including the Center on American Islamic Relations, Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee and Students for Justice in Palestine.
In addition to holding protests, press conferences and vigils, the groups have pressed local elected officials to call for a ceasefire by Israel, Awad said.
Awad said she and her colleagues believe elected officials have only supported Israel in the conflict and have not said enough to acknowledge the war’s toll on Palestinians.
“They are not extending the same sympathy that they do to Israel, to the Palestinians. So there’s a clear bias and there’s a lack of wanting to acknowledge that Israel is causing a lot of violence,” Awad said.
