PARK CITY, Utah — It has been more than 100 days since the war in Gaza began with the Hamas attacks on Israel.
The Associated Press is reporting that over 25,000 people have died, with women and children being the main victims.
Protesters on both sides of the issue went to Park City at the Sundance Film Festival to make their voices heard.
"We wanted to make sure that we use this platform to also be protesting on behalf of the Palestinians who are suffering, and as well as all the Islamophobia and antisemitism that’s happening all over the world due to this conflict,” said Salman Mahmood. He is visiting from St. Louis, Missouri, to participate in the film festival, and he wanted to share his opinions on the situation.
On Sunday, nearly 200 people gathered on Main Street, holding up signs and chanting for a ceasefire in Gaza.
"It means a lot. There's a genocide happening, for one thing. I’m a human being, and I cannot tolerate seeing that happen,” said Kouver Bingham, who is from Salt Lake City. “Second of all, it’s our tax dollars that are paying for the bombs that are being sent to Gaza."
Utah Highway Patrol and Park City Police closed Main Street for some time. People walked by taking pictures and videos — some even responding to the crowd, saying: "Bring [the hostages] home, bring them home."
“I think what we should be chanting and screaming about is how to solve the conflict, how to come together, how to talk about peace and co-existence and a two-state solution, instead of one country erasing the other,” said Lee Broda, who lives in Los Angeles and is Israeli.
Protesters told FOX 13 they want to raise awareness about what's happening in Gaza here at Sundance to bring it to a global platform and also show filmmakers and artists how they hope Gaza is portrayed.
Also around the same time in Salt Lake City, the United Jewish Federation of Utah hosted an event where people could hear from families like the Neutras, whose son Omer was taken as a hostage — with the hope of bringing all of them back home soon.
"He was taken from his post and we haven’t heard from him since,” said Orna Neutra, Omer’s mom. “Hamas has shown videos of him taken with his team alive, and there’s been no sign of life since. The Red Cross hasn’t been able to visit, and it's just been a nightmare for us."
