On July 29, a visit from the Israeli consul in San Francisco and former State Senate President Darrell Steinberg prompted community members and activists to protest outside of Beth Shalom synagogue in north Sacramento.
Steinberg has continuously voiced his support for Israel to “defend” itself through the use of shelling civilian areas in order to slow the launching of homemade rockets from Gaza. His visit came less than a day after 9 children in a park and several other civilians elsewhere were killed by Israeli shelling on the Islamic holy day of Eid.
Protesters lined the sidewalks leading to the temple with Palestinian flags and signs displaying facts about the brutality of the ongoing occupation and war in Palestine. Israel supporters greeted the supporters of Palestine with hostility. One pro-Palestinian demonstrator told Liberation News that he had a water hose turned on him from a home after they saw his Palestinian flag. Another young boy had a slushy thrown on him from a car as he displayed his sign that read “No Genocide in Palestine.” Middle fingers from those leaving the synagogue were met with what some call peace and others call victory signs from anti-Zionists.
Throughout the two hours of chanting and attempting to reasonably debate with various people either passing by or on their way to attend the meeting with Darrell Steinberg, there were several honks of support from members of the community driving by.
Since the start of the conflict that has cost the lives of over 1200 Palestinians in Gaza, Sacramento, like many cities across the world, has seen protests against the killing of innocent civilians by Israel. August 2 will see a demonstration at the state capital to call for an end to the billions of tax dollars that fund war crimes committed by Israel.
