More than 200 people calling for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas gathered in Durham Central Park on Saturday to sing, march, and fly kites in honor of Palestinian youth, who in 2011 broke the world record for the most number of kites flown simultaneously.
The demonstration was organized by the local collective Mothers for Ceasefire and cosponsored by 27 other groups, including North Carolina labor union UE 150 and the Triangle chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP).
The demonstration came as the child death toll in the besieged Gaza Strip neared another horrific milestone: Three times as many children have now been killed in Gaza since the start of the war in October as were killed in all conflicts globally in 2022.
Many attendees of Saturday’s event were young children and preteens. Some brought kites and others made their own at the on-site craft station, taping string and streamers to paper plates. Because the weather wasn’t particularly windy, children ran laps around the park to get lift on their kites, coaxing them to ride on air currents in their wake.
Down the hill, closer to the winter farmers’ market underway on the other side of the park, a group of carolers sang Christmas songs with lyrics altered to match the cause. “Stop the bombs, the news is dire, fa la la la la, la la la la,” the group sang, “we demand a full ceasefire.”
“There is a tension at this event between grief and joy,” said Eli DeWitt, a student rabbi and member of Mothers for Ceasefire and JVP Triangle. While kids sang and flew kites, DeWitt and other organizers dispersed pamphlets to parents with tips for navigating conversations about the conflict.
“We want to channel our love for our own children into love and support and awareness for the kids in Gaza,” DeWitt added. “And we want to give our kids a space to process what they’ve been hearing and take inspiration from it.”
An hour into the demonstration, attendees grew spirited as a giant helium balloon banner reading “GAZA WILL BE FREE,” was let up into the sky. In keeping with the child-centered spirit of the event, the crowd chanted “Let Gaza play” and banged drums as the banner rose to the end of its 100-foot tether.
After that, speakers, all of whom were children, stepped up to the mic.
“My second cousin is almost exactly my age,” said Zeydan, a 7-year-old boy who was born in Palestine. “His name is Ikhlas. And he is starving to death.”
“My family is in Gaza,” said 9-year-old Maria, another native Palestinian. “I am worried all the time.”
T, a 9-year-old with a Palestinian mom and a Jewish dad, recited “If I Must Die,” a poem written by the professor and writer Refaat Alareer shortly before he was killed by an Israeli air strike on December 7.
“He knew he was probably going to die,” T said of Alareer in a preface to the poem.
T’s mom is Nadeen Bir, a co-founder of Mothers for Ceasefire. Bir told the INDY that her father—T’s grandfather—was 8 years old when Israeli soldiers forced him to leave Jaffa during the 1948 mass displacement event known as the Nakba.
“All of my family history is very present with me as we are watching the destruction of Gaza and the genocide of the Palestinian people,” Bir said.
Beyond its namesake cause, Mothers for Ceasefire is also demanding humanitarian aid to Gaza and an end to U.S. military aid that supports Israel’s war on Gaza and violent occupation in the West Bank, according to a release.
Urging local congressional representatives to call for a ceasefire wasn’t as big a part of Saturday’s demonstration as it has been at other actions over the last two months.
That’s in part because pressure from Mothers for Ceasefire and JVP Triangle has had an effect, the groups say: Rep. Valerie Foushee, whose constituents live in Durham and Orange counties, signed a letter with a handful of other congress members on December 1 that called for a bilateral ceasefire, and Foushee has also agreed to meet with spokespeople from some local advocacy groups, according to DeWitt.
DeWitt said they want to make sure Foushee is held accountable to her signature, particularly because one congress member, Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, quietly rescinded her name from the same letter that Foushee signed—and because of the 62 congress members who have signed ceasefire letters and resolutions, Foushee is one of just five who have yet to post publicly about a ceasefire on her website or social media platforms.
Mothers For Ceasefire is also calling on Foushee to sign onto H.R. 786, the ceasefire resolution Rep. Cori Bush introduced in late October. The group asks the same of Reps. Wiley Nickel and Deborah Ross, who represent parts of Wake County and have not expressed any support for a ceasefire to date.
Tonight, Mothers for Ceasefire will join UE 150, JVP Triangle, and a dozen other labor and community organizations for a 6:30 p.m. rally outside Durham City Hall. Protesters will “demand that the city pass an official resolution calling on US Congress to issue a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, as well as an end to US aid to Israel’s military,” per a release.
Follow Staff Writer Lena Geller on Twitter or send an email to [email protected]. Comment on this story at [email protected].
Support independent local journalism.
Join the INDY Press Club to help us keep fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle.
You must be logged in to post a comment.