Seattle students walk out of class to demand peace in Gaza

High schoolers from across the Puget Sound region walked out of class on Tuesday, protesting the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Despite some criticism, protestors said the demonstrations were not anti-Jewish.

Teenagers in Seattle rallied at Capitol Hill’s Cal Anderson Park, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Palestinian freedom. They chanted: “How many children have to die before you call it genocide?”

The rally was part of a region-wide walkout at high schools in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, and elsewhere.

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Garfield High School senior Maysun Dawahare addressed her fellow students at Cal Anderson.

“It's important to be sensitive, but it’s also important to be strong with your opinions,” Dawahare said. “And it's important to stand for the people who can't fight for themselves.”

Protestors called on the United States government to stop sending money to Israel as that country bombs Gaza. They also called on local institutions, like the University of Washington, to cut ties with Israel until the fighting stops.

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So far, at least 30,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the start of the war.

Tuesday’s protests occurred during the weeklong Jewish Passover holiday. Demonstrations at some universities in the country have been called anti-Semitic, including by President Joe Biden.

Ari Hoffman, a Seattle radio host who is Jewish, opposes the protests and called organizers "terrorists" on social media.

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Some of the protestors at Cal Anderson said they were Jewish and wore kippahs, traditional Jewish caps. They said they were praying for peace during Passover.

“This is not about Israel being Jewish. That's not anything to do with this. It's about humans killing humans — plain and simple,” Dawahare said. “If this were happening to Israel, then we'd be supporting them. But it isn't. It’s happening to Gaza.”

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A local chapter of a pro-Palestinian group, Samidoun, promoted the protests on social media. That group has been banned in Germany due to accusations it celebrated violence against Israelis. None of the signage or banners at Tuesday’s rally were associated with the group.

Dawahare and other organizers said they were energized to see so many students turn up on Tuesday, and they said more rallies are planned for the coming months.