Hundreds of local Palestinian Americans rallied in the southwest suburbs Monday in a truck caravan — many blaring their horns and flying Palestinian flags — aimed at drawing attention to the innocent lives lost as Israel’s war on Hamas continues.
Reem Odeh, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants and a longtime immigration attorney, said “it was very symbolic that it was done on Christmas Day to speak up against the atrocities against innocent people.”
The rally comes as Israel ramps up its attacks on Gaza and the Occupied West Bank, according to the Associated Press.
The rally began about 1 p.m. at the Chicago Ridge Mall, where Odeh said about 150 semi-trucks, tow trucks, cars and other vehicles gathered before embarking on a four-hour crawl through the southwest suburbs.
Monday’s protest is the first of more to come, Odeh said, with a second possibly as soon as Friday.
For Odeh, a cease-fire can’t happen soon enough.
Her parents — former local business owners — retired to the West Bank last summer, and as Odeh spoke with a reporter she watched an Al-Jazeera TV news segment showing the Israel Defense Forces moving into the area near their home.
“Almost every single one of us,” Odeh said of those taking part in Monday’s event, “has relatives, parents, spouses, children in Palestine.”
Health officials in Hamas-run Gaza say the Palestinian death toll has surpassed 20,000, and in more than 11 weeks, the conflict has displaced nearly 85% of Gaza’s people. The war started after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people.
Chicago Ridge police did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Contributing Cindy Hernandez and Associated Press
