Every Thursday night along 11th Street, the sounds of honking cars and banging pots echo as demonstrators gather for a weekly "Free Palestine" protest organized by the activist group Free Palestine Tulsa.
Protesters line the street with signs condemning the starvation of Palestinians in Gaza and criticizing U.S. military aid to Israel. The group hopes their visible and vocal presence will help sway public opinion.
“We’ve noticed that we’re getting more and more honks, a lot more thumbs up,” protester Carlos Reyes said. “We have people that stop and yell words of support.”
The local action comes amid growing international concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as children starve due to aid blockages. Earlier this week, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres spoke on the worsening conditions in the region.
“Palestinians in Gaza are enduring a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions,” Guterres said. “This is not a warning. It is a reality unfolding before our eyes.”
Despite these alarm bells, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied that starvation is occurring in Gaza during a recent interview with the evangelical network Daystar in Jerusalem.
Back in Tulsa, not all passersby are supportive. At Thursday’s protest, one man shouted his opposition to the group. Protesters responded with chants of, “Free Palestine,” “Jesus was Palestinian,” and “Jesus loves you.”
Reyes said free speech is part of the American ideal.
“So he has his right to speak his mind, and I defend his right to speak his mind as much as we might disagree with him,” Reyes said.
A recent Gallup poll indicates that national attitudes may be shifting, with only 32% of Americans supporting Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Protesters say the next step is pressuring lawmakers to act on that shift in public sentiment. But some remain skeptical that political leaders will follow through.
“I still do call and write, because I want them to know there are people in Oklahoma who do not approve of that funding,” said protester Taylor Painter-Wolfe. “But I don’t have a lot of faith in them.”
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate voted down a resolution to block arms sales to Israel. Both of Oklahoma’s senators voted against the measure.
