East Bay walk urges Gaza cease-fire
Hundreds of people, including members of dozens of faith communities, walked 22 miles from Berkeley to Alameda on Saturday to advocate for a cease-fire in Gaza.
The 22-mile journey was intended to mirror the distance that those fleeing Gaza must travel to reach the Rafah crossing, where more than half of Gaza’s population has taken refuge, according to the Associated Press. The East Bay demonstration was one of more than 150 planned across cities in 19 countries in recent weeks, according to the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage, an organization connecting churches and other faith groups to organize the demonstrations.
In addition to a cease-fire, the protesters are calling for the immediate release of all hostages, the flow of food, water, aid, fuel and humanitarian assistance, and the end of the Israeli occupation of Gaza.
Hamas is believed to be holding about 100 hostages and the remains of 30 others taken during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and started the war. Israel’s invasion in response has killed more than 32,000 people, according to Gaza health officials, and has displaced around 80% of the area’s 2.3 million people, the Associated Press has reported.
Israel plans to launch a ground assault in Rafah, a move the U.S. opposes, saying there would be no way for citizens to get out of harm’s way.
Many of those marching Saturday wore scarves with the word “ceasefire” draped over their shoulders. Several also carried signs or Palestinian flags. As rain drizzled over the East Bay, the marchers brought out umbrellas and continued on.
Several of the faith leaders involved in the walk said that they were doing so in a stand against oppression.
The Rev. CJ Sokugan Dunford, the assisting minister of the Berkeley Buddhist Temple and Buddhist Temple of Marin, said in a statement that their faith practices compassion with those who are suffering, prompting them to “demand an end to this genocide in Palestine, both the collective punishment and the starvation of its people.”
“When I see Mosques, Churches, Synagogues, and homes destroyed in Gaza and other parts of Palestine, I must respond as though those were my temples, my homes,” they said. “When I see families being martyred by Israeli bombs, families and especially little children starving due to the destruction of their infrastructure and the denial of life-giving aid, I must respond as though these families are my own.”
The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, a pastor of the Presbyterian Church (USA), shared a similar sentiment.
“The generational trauma that is being and has been inflicted upon all involved can be stopped if the world would only exhibit the political and human will to do so,” he said in a statement. “An immediate and lasting ceasefire, the flow of lifesaving humanitarian relief, the release of all captives, and a genuine move toward the end of occupation are the least we can do to provide a future, not of unending violence and despair, but of healing and hope.”
Rabbi Cat Zavis of Beyt Tikkun Synagogue said her group joined the march because “our Jewish tradition demands that we both speak out and take action to prevent harm when a crime is being committed in our name.”
“Our teachings tell us that if we don’t protest when harm is being committed, whether in our family, our community, or the world, we are responsible for the harm. Our Torah teaches us to choose life — praying with our feet is a way for us to say yes to life and no to war,” she said in a statement. “We stand in solidarity with our Palestinian cousins and demand an immediate ceasefire. We unequivocally say: Never again for anyone.”
Noura Khouri with Palestinian Christians for Justice called the march a “walking prayer” and said it is imperative to stand with people facing oppression and injustice.
“Neutrality on Gaza is not an option. We cannot turn a blind eye to genocide,” she said.
Khouri added that, while the East Bay walk was the same distance that Palestinians must travel to find refuge, those in the war zone must make the journey amid bomb blasts and without water, food or shelter.
“If our time is limited or we can’t get through the whole walk, we have the privilege of stepping out,” she said. “The children, women and men fleeing the bombing in Gaza have no such luxury.”