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Kalamazoo events commemorate October 7 and children's deaths in Gaza

People stand on the curb along Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo on the anniversary of the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War. There are Palestinian flags and signs in support of Gaza and Lebanon, and baby clothes, sewn together to form a chain between the group of about 60 demonstrators.
Leona Larson
/
WMUK
Members of KNOW stand along Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo during a demonstration Monday, one day after the anniversary of the attacks that touched off the Israel-Hamas War.

Monday marked the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel. In public and private events, Kalamazoo groups reflected on the year since Israel began its war against the militant group in Gaza.

Monday marked the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel in which the group killed about 1,200 Israelis and took hundreds more hostage.

At various events, Kalamazoo groups reflected on the year since the attacks, which prompted Israel to begin a war against the militant group in Gaza.

Members of the Jewish community gathered Sunday night for a private observance.

At Western Michigan University, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) held a “Die-in Demonstration” in front of the Seibert Administration Building Monday afternoon.

“I think most of us expected this to be done and over with by now,” said Marissa Wagner, the president of WMU-SJP, who was standing with a group of about 10 students behind a line of five human-shaped forms representing corpses covered in sheets.

Last spring, the students urged university officials to take a stand on the conflict and issue an official statement.

 “While it felt like we were making progress, we just kept hitting road block after road block arguing over specific language. And at this point, we're here to tell the administration that enough is enough,” Wagner said.

Two students, one in a keffiyeh in support of Palestine, protest in front of the WMU administration building on Oct. 7.  She holds a sign above her head that says  "986 healthcare workers murdered. 902 Palestinian families completely wiped out by Israeli military."  The other student holds a sign over her face that says "Israel kills 37 mothers every day."
Leona Larson
/
WMUK
WMU students at the "die-in demonstration" in front of the Seibert Administration Building Monday.

Monday evening, the Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War (K.N.O.W) held a public event on Stadium Drive not far from the campuses of Kalamazoo College and WMU. The event was called the “Chain of Resistance.”

Participants lined the street holding signs and children’s clothing that was stitched into a chain.

“It was a simple way to try and visually show the impact of the sheer number of children that have been killed in the last 365 days,” explained K.N.O.W.’s Chelsea Hayden before the event.

The war has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, including thousands of children.

“While the events of October 7th are horrific and every human life has value,” Hayden said, “the response to what happened on October 7th has been disproportionate, extremely violent.”

Leona has worked as a journalist for most of her life - in radio, print, television and as journalism instructor. She has a background in consumer news, special projects and investigative reporting.