Members of UMiss for Palestine and the Lafayette-Oxford community gathered at city hall at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20 for a candlelight vigil in honor of the Palestinian lives lost in Gaza and the West Bank over the past year.
“I want people to have a space to hold their grief and to share that grief with the community. I also want people to recognize the horror and deaths and the strength and resilience (of the) people,” Dua’a Matalgah, a Jordanian-American and junior psychology major from Longstreet Miss., and media liaison for UMiss for Palestine said. “We have to fight for the Palestinian people still fighting for their lives.”
The current period of conflict between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas launched an attack against Israel, resulting in 1,200 deaths and the taking of approximately 240 hostages. Israel then declared war, launching airstrikes and a ground incursion into Gaza. As of Sept. 17, over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza with more than 93,000 injured, according to Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza.
The group of over 30 participants stood together in silence for several minutes, honoring the lives lost and the ongoing hardships faced by Palestinians. Many participants wore keffiyehs, a traditional Palestinian scarf, and held flowers that symbolized both death and peace. Matalgah read a list of the names and ages of 50 Palestinians who have died in the conflict.
UM For Palestine member Jalon Hightower, a sophomore political science and multidisciplinary studies major, said that spreading awareness is crucial.
“I feel like, as Americans, we kind of turn a blind eye to a lot of issues in the world, and we say, ‘well, at least it’s not us,’” Hightower said. “We extend our sympathy but never our empathy.”
Last year, UM Hillel, a Jewish campus organization, held a vigil on Oct. 12 to mourn the Israeli and Palestinian lives lost. Hightower attended the vigil last year and was excited to see another crowd turnout for this vigil.
Oxford resident Charley Reed arrived at the vigil after dropping her friend off at the airport. Although she missed the ceremony, she still wanted to show her support.
“Muslim students or people here from Palestine should know that they have support and are loved and that they’re not alone in this,” Reed said.
The vigil offered attendees pamphlets with QR codes to join organizations including Mississippi for Palestine and UM for Palestine. The organizers also have an Instagram page called @um4palestine.
Matalgah echoed Reed’s sentiments.
“I want people to know how important this is for not only Palestinians but for the people of Oxford, as well,” Matalgah said. “I want them to know that there is a community here.”
