ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota chapters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), and multiple other community organizations will surround the Minnesota State Capitol Saturday after a week of press conferences, rallies, and speeches, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
AMP Chapter Lead Mariam El-Khatib said inaction from Minnesotans and Americans alike, is unconscionable.
“We are watching a genocide taking place literally in front of our eyes, being televised, celebrated, and justified,” El-Khatib said.
On Friday, CAIR-MN said it has received a report that members of a Minnesota Palestinian family were killed in the Gaza Strip.
“An Israeli airstrike reportedly took the lives of 30 family members of Tariq and Manal Hamouda from Woodbury,” CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said. “They own a family-operated eye clinic in Gaza, which is the region’s largest and oldest. Among the 30 family members killed were four doctors. They lost their lives when rockets hit their homes. All of Manal’s siblings, spouses, and children were killed; only the mother of Manal and one nephew survived.”
The protest is expected to be the largest call for a ceasefire in Palestine and Israel in Minnesota since the attack on Israel by the terrorist group Hamas started the conflict, exactly two weeks ago.