NEW ORLEANS — They are calling it the largest march for Palestine in Louisiana history.
Sunday evening, more than 25 groups gathered to support citizens in Gaza.
After the Saints game, traffic was at a standstill, as Canal Street was the scene of protestors gathering to show solidarity for Palestinians as the brutal war between Israel and Hamas continues.
Protesters and the local Jewish Federation spoke about the growing divide.
Chants of “Free, free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea” could be heard as people marched from the foot of Canal Street, two miles through the CBD.
“We have the Muslims, the Christians, the Jews, joining all together to stop the genocide in Palestine and Gaza,” said Nabil Abukhader, a Muslim community organizer.
As an organizer, he and other marchers say Israel occupies land belonging to the Palestinian people and he wants U.S. tax dollars to stop going to Israel, to fund what he calls “killing machines.”
“We could use it to build our levees, our schools, give the police the manpower they need, the salaries they need, the teachers the salaries they deserve,” he added.
Some of the protestors explained why they joined in.
“I just think it's really important to show solidarity with Palestinians. You know a lot of people are afraid to speak out. I guess personally I just want the genocide to end, really. That's all Palestinians say. They come on social media, Twitter, TikTok and just say, ‘I want this to end,’” said one young female in the march who did not want to give her name.
“There's a lot of fake propaganda on the news from Israel not speaking the truth on what's happening in Gaza. They are painting it as there are a lot of terrorists going in and killing the Israel people when really it is a lot of the Israel people going in and bombing Gaza,” said Javalyn LeBlanc, who was marching in the crowd.
Robert French, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, says first-hand reports from people who have been in Israel don't match up with what is being put out on social media.
“It's alarming to us to see protests that don't call out Hamas as terrorists. They don't call out Hamas as rapists. They don't condemn the kidnapping of infants, the sick, and the elderly,” said Robert French, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans.
He says he has workshops to educate and listen to all sides, away from the agendas on social media.
“I agree Palestine needs to be freed from Hamas. That's my response to them. A lot of people, including myself, believe in two states, but you have to have people who don't want to destroy you to be your partner for peace to make that happen. Israel has made peace with a lot of its Arab neighbors. Israel has conceded land for peace, and it's proven that. So, this is not a war against Islam. This is a war against terrorism,” French explained.
“Why Hamas did that, they've been under siege 16, 17 years, like even United States said that many times. We need to provide them the state they deserve, the dignity they deserve, the freedom they deserve, and so they can live in peace,” Abukhader said.
There was a mounted police presence and police cruisers, and they estimate about 1,100 people came out in the cold weather for the march.
Both sides agree they want the civilian suffering to end.
The organizers say there are 25,000 members of the Muslim community living in the New Orleans area, and 10,000 are Palestinian.
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