St. Paul, MN – More than 500 people gathered on the Marshall Avenue/Lake Street Bridge that spans the Mississippi River, July 23, for the weekly peace bridge vigil that this week focused on Palestine. This is the fourth Twin Cities protest in two weeks against the Israeli attack on Palestine. The death toll in Gaza has increased to over 600 people since the ground invasion began. Over 100,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes.

Over half of Gaza’s population is under 18, so children have the highest likelihood of being killed or injured in the Israeli ground assault and aerial bombing campaign. UNICEF estimates that one third of civilian casualties are children, with over 900 children injured so far by Israel’s attacks. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that at least 107,000 children need specialized psychosocial support for trauma involving death, injury or the loss of their home.

Minnesotans are outraged at the bombing of civilian targets. Meredith Aby-Keirstead, of the Anti-War Committee, explains, “On Tuesday, Israel shelled a UN girls’ school where refugees were seeking shelter. Today we have heard reports that Israel bombed Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility. Meanwhile Obama and Congress keep making statements in support of Israel’s ‘right to self-defense’ and defend U.S. military aid to Israel. Our tax dollars are paying for this massacre and more and more people are taking to the streets to say ‘no.’ On Friday we had about 2000 people protesting. Last weekend there were 10,000 people on the streets in Chicago to express solidarity with the people of Gaza. Momentum is growing against U.S. support for the attack on Palestine and today’s vigil was another opportunity for Minnesotans to express their outrage at Israel’s aggression.”

The vigil was co-sponsored by Women Against Military Madness’ End War Committee, the Twin Cities Peace Campaign, and the Anti-War Committee.

Another protest against the Israeli attack on Palestine will take place on July 25, at 4:30 pm, at corner of Snelling and Summit Avenues in Saint Paul.

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