Protesters light menorah on Portland’s Burnside Bridge, call for Gaza ceasefire

By Web Staff

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    PORTLAND, Oregon (KPTV) — Demonstrators shut down the Burnside Bridge in Portland for hours on Thursday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

This coordinated effort in multiple cities across the country comes on the final night of Hanukkah.

Seattle’s University Bridge was shut down as over 100 members of the Jewish Voice for Peace blocked all lanes of the bridge, part of the ‘eight bridges for eight nights’ protest.

In addition to Seattle and Portland, protests in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta and Minneapolis shut down bridges during the Jewish Voice for Peace protest.

“We see hope in practice through the Hanukkah story of the miracle of light,” a speaker at the rally said.

The ceremonial lighting of a 12-foot menorah took center stage, lighting up the darkness of the night sky. People said it’s symbolic of the dark season for the people in Gaza.

“I think it means something different to each of us, but one of the associations I have with the menorah and Hanukkah is that of miracles, and you could argue it would be miraculous for a ceasefire to happen now,” Catherine Petru, an organizer for the Jewish Voice for Peace Portland, said. “We are calling on our elected(s) to do the same.”

It was a celebration of heritage, of faith, but also a somber moment to remember the lives lost in the conflict.

“Candle eight. In remembrance of those who have been killed. We honor the memories of every Israeli and Palestinian who has been killed. We know that each life is precious. We mourn all these depths deeply,” a speaker at the rally said.

This action was in coordination with Jewish Voice for Peace and other Jewish-led groups forming bridge blockades in several major cities across the United States.

Hanukkah is a celebration of finding light in the darkness, and those who participated in the rally said that is what is needed most in this moment.

“We are bringing in song, just to be able to reach people in a different way,” Zia Laboff, an organizer for the Jewish Voice for Peace Portland, said.

Portland police said they were monitoring the situation. FOX 12 crews didn’t see any arrests while they were at the rally.

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