Iowa City protesters rally against Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ask for peace in Gaza

More than 100 protesters rallied on the Pentacrest and marched through downtown Iowa City on Oct. 27, calling for peace in the Gaza Strip and an end to the Israel-Hamas War.

Impassioned speakers rallied the crowd, imploring listeners and protesters to contact their Congresspeople and make their voices heard. Others called for an end to what they called chaos in the Gaza Strip. Some referred to family members stuck in Gaza and displaced from their homes.

"We're checking every day and hoping that they still have electricity," Nasim Abu-Dagga said, pausing. "And that they are still alive, frankly."

A few mentioned the "asymmetry" of the conflict, noting how the population of Gaza is relatively young.

"There are children under the rubble, dying, and they can't get them out," Newman Abuissa, part of the University of Iowa's Center for Human Rights said. "We need to do something right now."

The group plans future protests every Friday until the end of the conflict, starting at 3:30 p.m, Yaser Abu-Dagga said.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Protesters call for peace in demonstration, march through Iowa City