Protesters gather at Ocean City Boardwalk to call for Palestinian freedom, bring awareness to Israel-Hamas war

OCEAN CITY, Md. – Chants rang out on the Ocean City Boardwalk, as dozens of people marched in the name of Palestine, amid the Israel-Hamas war.

“The more people that speak up for them, I believe it’s going to bring more awareness,” said protester, Samaher omar. “Hopefully, [it will] get them to a point that they reach freedom and resolution, to everything that’s going on in Gaza today.”

People from across the Eastern Shore showed up with hand drawn signs and flags, waving them at the protest. But Omar said one clothing item in particular is worth a million words.

“This is called the kiffeyeh. It’s a symbol of Palestinian freedom and it’s a cultural symbol,” Omar said. “It has the olive branches on it. It’s very symbolic for Palestinians.”

A good representation of their mission in Ocean City, to encourage the end of the war,
freedom fighters at the march said you don’t have to be directly impacted to have your voice heard.

“You don’t have to be Palestinian to show your support for Palestine. You just have to be a human, with an open mind and a kind heart,” said protester, Yara Issa.

Omar said putting her identity at the forefront of this message is a scary choice but felt a call to end the war was just that important. She’s not letting that stop her from fighting peacefully for her family back home.

“Showing that we are peaceful here, today, and that there are many Muslims in the area than you think, and that we’re all peaceful– we’re just looking for justice for the people that don’t have a voice,” Omar said.

“We just want our voices to be heard, because we really care about Palestine; it’s our home country,” Issa said.