More Than 1,000 Palestinian Supporters Rally Downtown
CHICAGO (CBS) --More than 1,000 people showed up to a rally downtown Saturday to show support for Palestine. CBS 2's Mai Martinez reports it started at Michigan and Congress at round 3 p.m.
The group then marched through the Loop to Federal Plaza under the watchful eye of Chicago Police.
The group is protesting Israel's actions in Gaza where officials say more than a thousand people have been killed as a result of Israeli bombings. Most of those casualties are civilians.
On the Israeli side, 40 soldiers have died along with two-civilians.
Hatem Abudayyeh with the Chicago Coalition for Justice says Israel is not on a self-defense mission, instead he says it's an ethnic cleansing mission.
"This is not a war in Palestine, this is a war on Palestine," said Abudayyeh. "Israel is on a rampage and the U.S. is supporting it 100 percent."
Alan Solow with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago says the demonstration's target is "inaccurate."
"They should be protesting against the people-Hamas--who started this conflict, who have prolonged this conflict, who have refused to accept the first cease fire that was proposed by the Egyptians," said Solow.
The pro-Palestinian supporters at the rally Saturday say they will continue to protest Israel actions until Israel ends its occupation of Gaza, but Israeli leaders don't plan to back down until Gaza is free of Hamas.