Pro-Palestinian Activists Renew Call For Gaza Ceasefire, De-Escalation With Iran

by Jamil Ragland

HARTFORD, CT – Dozens of pro-Palestinian activists from across the state and beyond gathered in front of the state capitol on Sunday morning to renew their call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and to de-escalate the recent hostility between Iran and Israel, which is supported by the United States. 

Led by the Community Alliance for Peace and Justice (CAPJ), several organizations came together, including activists from Muslim Advocacy for Rights, Unity, and Fairness CT; Veterans for Peace CT; the Connecticut Palestine Alliance; the Green Party of Connecticut; CT Labor for Palestine; Healthcare Workers for Palestine; and the Sumud Coalition at Yale.

The coalition is demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. They also described the US strikes on Iran as unprovoked and illegal and called for a halt to military escalation and no further US strikes. The groups also called for a full congressional investigation into the strikes and urged Congress to pass the war powers resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-VA, to limit future strikes.

CAPJ board member Shafi Ahmed stated that US weapons continue to fuel Israel’s war in Gaza, where tens of thousands of people have been killed. Ahmed also claimed that President Donald Trump’s strike on Iran bypassed Congress and endangered millions of lives, including those of US service members.

“I stand here today as a human being, a father, and an advocate who refuses to stay silent in the face of genocide and reckless warmongering,” he said. “Meanwhile, our government continues to fund Israel’s atrocities in Gaza while ignoring hunger, homelessness, and a crumbling healthcare system here at home. This is not just politics; it’s about human life.”

In addition to rallying for peace, the gathering served as a reminder of the potential for change through electoral politics. Louai Abu-Osba, a Palestinian-American organizer with the Western Mass Coalition for Palestine, celebrated the recent victory of Zohran Mamdani in the New York City Democratic primary for mayor as an example of progressive policies carrying the day.

“Every small success is a seed for a larger one,” he said. “Once we have a progressive majority in the state legislatures, in Congress, in the governors’ mansions, and in the White House, we will be able to dismantle the stranglehold that war profiteers have over our government and foreign policy. When war profiteering ends, we get money for everything else. Universal health care, education, housing, foreign policy driven by human rights, and eventually a free Palestine, from the river to the sea.”

Roxanne Bruno, board secretary for CAPJ, was the final listed speaker and chose to end the rally with a message of hope. She recalled her time as an animal rights activist in the 1980s and how much of an uphill battle that was. But she pointed out that small victories compounded and the world is now more aware of the cruelty and suffering that animals endured, which has led to real change. She also said that the tactics used back then could be useful now as well.

“This is a lesson also from animal rights: that one of the most powerful tools that we have is the dollar in our own wallet and the way that we choose to spend it,” she said. “Educate yourselves. Understand how your dollars are profiting someone. And do you want to profit those people? That is one of the most powerful tools we have.”

As protesters waved Palestinian flags, she told the crowd not to give up.

“When it’s completely dark, it is better to hold one small candle or one match than to remain in the darkness,” she said. “And when we all do that, we do change the world.”