WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – On Monday, Israeli forces intensified their attacks in Lebanon. As they increased efforts against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, the bombings have killed over 500 people – including 50 children – according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, an action that has set off protests around the world, including in Wichita.
Chants of “hands off Lebanon. Hands off Gaza” echoed as more than 50 protesters gathered at the busy intersection of Central and Rock. According to protesters, they’re aiming to keep the conflict at the forefront of people’s minds.
The attack has spurred the Lebanese community in Wichita into action. Organizer Joan Farha fears for the family she still has in Lebanon.
“If you look around this city. If you go eat at a restaurant, if you have renovations on your home, or if you go to the doctor, you will meet a Lebanese person,” she said. “I see news reports about my village being attacked. There was an attack two blocks from the home my father grew up in.”
Abdelkarim Jibril, with Students For Justice in Palestine out of WSU, shares similar concerns. The family he has in Palestine has been facing the consequences of Israel’s war on Hamas since October. Despite his family not being from Lebanon, he sees the conflicts as one and the same.
“The Lebanese people will proudly wave a Palestinian flag. I don’t see it as a different issue. What’s happening in Lebanon and what’s happening in Palestine,” Jibril said. “It starts here. Nothing ever happens at the White House without there being a push.”
Farha agrees.
“There are Muslims, and there are Christians here. Lebanon is a country of all religions. And we stand together,” she said.
As conflicts continue to heat up, they plan to continue protesting until a ceasefire in the Middle East becomes a reality. They say that local demonstrations, like the one on Central and Rock, are essential steps toward peace.
