Daily Tar Heel - City
A post office rally for rights
Protests usher in Palestinian Week at UNC
By: Ted Strong
1/28/08

About 45 people gathered in front of the Franklin Street post office Saturday to protest America's policy on Israel and the Palestinian question.

They were out in reaction to the deterioration of the situation in the Gaza strip, though they cared about Palestinian issues in general.

The protesters believe American support for the Israeli government is wrong because it violates Palestinian human rights, they said.

It's kind of disgusting that we're supporting a government that is allowing that to happen," said Sarah Grossblatt, a senior international studies major at UNC.

She showed up at the protest, which comes just ahead of Palestine Week on campus, because it was announced over local activist listservs, she said, even though she's not a member of either sponsoring group, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions and the Coalition for Peace with Justice.

Mohamed Youssef, a professor at N.C. State University and native of Egypt who came to Chapel Hill for the protest, said he was motivated by the conditions in Gaza.

"Over there people are not able to eat or drink," he said. "There's no food, no medicine, no fuel."

Israel closed Gaza's borders about a week ago after the number of rocket attacks from the strip increased. Recently, the wall separating Gaza from Egypt was blown up and Palestinians have flowed into that country, seeking supplies.

Youssef wasn't alone in his assessment.

"It's heartbreaking," said Sam Dolbee, a senior.

The crowd Saturday included families with children, a man in a beret and a woman with her Chihuahua mixes, Rico and Shadow.

In general, they were restrained, with little chanting or hollering. Instead, they held signs quietly and handed fliers to passers-by.

No opposition showed up to the rally Saturday, but Grossblatt said she didn't think her presence was at all contradictory to her Jewish heritage.

"I feel kind of responsible for the situation," she said. "I don't think it's anti-Jewish or anti-Semitic to be out here."

Grossblatt said she hoped people would be motivated by the protest to research the issue on their own.

"I want people to learn more about it," she said, "because people don't have a clue about what's going on."

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.

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