A group of local activists held a memorial vigil and march in Reading Saturday to call for an end to Israel’s military activity in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon and remember those killed there.
Members of Berks for Palestine gathered outside Berks County Democratic Committee headquarters and later marched to a Republican Party office in Reading.
Organizers said 45,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched military operations in response to an attack led by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel also is engaged in a conflict with Hezbollah, a militant group operating out of Lebanon, and with Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank.
The group placed pencils in the ground outside the Democratic headquarters, with each one representing 15 children killed in Gaza.
Organizers criticized both major parties for their support of Israel, which they say is engaged in genocide and an apartheid occupation of Palestine using weapons and aid from the U.S. government. They called for an immediate U.S. arms embargo on Israel and an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Source: Berkshire mont