SEMO students protest to bring awareness to the war in Gaza

The war between Gaza and Israel has been raging for almost an entire year, sparking protests across the country and around the world.

On Oct. 4, the Cape Girardeau Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a protest to bring awareness to the conflict. The group gathered at the SEMO entrance fountain, holding signs to advocate for a ceasefire. Cars that passed by would also honk to show their support for the protest.

Junior political science major and treasurer of SDS Ryan O’Neal said that the goal of the protest was to raise awareness and highlight the conflict’s international importance.

“We organized the protest to raise awareness of the hostility of the Israeli state and to advocate for a two-state solution,” O’Neal said. “Recent actions shown by the Israeli state have shown that they have no interest in peace or a two-state solution, that they only have interest in occupying Palestine, the West Bank, and other Arab states.”

According to a handout given out at the protest, over 40,005 Palestinians have been killed, and 92,401 have been wounded.

Junior history and historic preservation major Natalie Arbuckle talked further about the deaths in Gaza.

“I do believe in the value of human life,” Arbuckle said. “It’s impossible for me to see the injustices going on in the world, Palestine specifically right now, just the horrific tragedy of the loss of human life, and not say or do something about it.”

Junior historic preservation and anthropology major Carlee Ashby talked about the impact she hoped the protest made on SEMO students.

“Just because it doesn’t affect you doesn’t mean it’s not real,” Ashby said. “I hope that at least one person walks away from it, kind of understanding in a new light that it’s not about Hamas, it’s not about whatever land war that people try to claim it’s about, it’s about the people, women, and children, innocent lives in Palestine.”