Several dozen protesters gathered Friday at the Bruce R. Thompson Federal Courthouse for the Reno Rally for Palestine. The event was a call for the support of Palestinians in Gaza—who are trapped within the region as Israeli forces launch counterattacks against Gaza-based Hamas—and to lobby Nevada’s senators to “denounce and defund occupation and genocide,” according to the event flyer.
Nevada’s U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen has been an outspoken advocate supporting Israel, traveling earlier this month to the nation with a bipartisan Senate delegation. Rosen is the only Jewish woman and former synagogue president in the Senate. She has urged for the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, and for the U.S. to supply Israel with the munitions it needs to defend itself.
Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by many. The organization, which took control of Gaza in 2006, has vowed to exterminate Jewish people from Israel and take back the land for Islamic people.
The crowd of protesters in Reno gathered around 3 p.m. and grew into a group of about 100 people. As they chanted “cease-fire now” the protest gained momentum and support from passersby.
A counter-protestor, Elliot Malin, sat on a nearby bench with a sign that read “Hamas wants dead Jews.” Malin described himself as a “Jewish Nevadan with a lot of friends and family that were hurt by the terrible attacks by Hamas.” He said Hamas is “a terrorist organization that wants the genocide of Jews.”
Malin said he was at the rally because he is a “Jew that doesn’t want to be killed for being Jewish.”
Malin also acknowledged a distinct clarification between Hamas and the Palestinians in Gaza who are being terrorized by the militant organization.
The protestors continued their rally with a short march to the Believe sculpture at the Reno City Plaza before returning to the courthouse later in the evening. The event was mostly peaceful, with the exception of a counter-protestor who attempted to disrupt the rally before being ordered away by police.
Reno Police officers are also accused of hitting the ACLU’s Lily Baran with a bicycle tire during the rally and of detaining a This Is Reno photographer. This Is Reno is continuing to investigate these incidents.
