Hundreds in Seattle protest Gaza attacks

A Westlake Mall protest Saturday drew about 500 people supporting a peaceful end to the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

As their protest got underway, Israeli ground troops were moving into the Gaza area. Israel said its continued strikes were in retaliation for sustained rocket fire into its territory from Hamas, the Islamic group that controls the Gaza. Israel's actions have sparked an angry reaction across the Arab world.

"Words cannot explain what I feel right now," a tearful Mona Marouf, whose parents and family live in Gaza, said from the podium at Westlake Center. "Every single day I'm imagining myself holding my daughter dying in my arms ... The news is terrible every day."

Nearly a dozen community groups from different religious, ethnic and political organizations co-sponsored Saturday's protest, which was organized by Voices of Palestine.

Those present included Palestinians anxious to hear news of family members in the path of troops in Israel; Jewish people upset about Israeli government policies, and people who supported peace in the Middle East in general.

They chanted, spoke and planned to march through downtown Seattle to try to bring awareness to an issue they say many Americans misunderstand or ignore.

Emily Heffter: 206-464-8246 or eheffter@seattletimes.com

Information in this article, originally published January 3, 2009, was corrected September 4, 2009. A previous version of this story contained a quote that was incorrectly attributed to an attendee at the rally. The quote has been removed.