Local protests are erupting as the world watches the conflict and new war unfolding in the Middle East.
A protest in Kirkland on Sunday brought out hundreds of people — both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine.
We spoke with people on both sides and at moments, the two groups clashed as passions ran high.
Several skirmishes erupted and the violence was caught on video as fights broke out.
The protest comes as a new conflict in the Middle East exploded over the weekend.
“Our people are getting killed back home so it’s very hard for us,” said pro-Israel protester Daniel.
Some protesters say they know people who are missing.
“It’s so hard for all of us. One of my friends, dad, two people just missing,” said pro-Israel protester Nir.
The protest in Kirkland continued for hours, starting near Third and Central. To break up the fights, Kirkland Police fired what appeared to be pepper balls, and then kept protesters divided by a closed-off street.
People on the pro-Palestine side also displayed passion.
“Our passion comes from being ethnically cleansed for 75 years,” said pro-Palestine protester Bissan Barghougi. “We are here because we believe in the right in Palestinian self-defense, the right to land back, and the right to self-determination.”
“I am Jewish so I care about Jewish people’s safety. That’s incredibly important to me. So when people say free Palestine is an anti-Semitic slogan, that’s wrong,” said pro-Palestine protester, Abby Brook.
Most people are just hoping for a swift end to the horror and violence abroad.
“This is unforgivable. I’m sorry guys, this is really hard for me,” said Nir.
Watch the footage below:
Pro #Israeli and pro palestinian protesters clashed in Kirkland, Washington. Some gas had makes participants cough pic.twitter.com/FxExYehHSR
— Natasha Mozgovaya (@mozgovaya) October 8, 2023
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The evil insane mentally ill religics in the Middle East have been enjoying mass murdering each other for past 10,000 years and have no desire to stop doing that!
Palestinians and Jews, two semitic people which pray to the same invisible dude in different ways and have a claim, both of them legit, to the same land.
The USA should keep out of this and I am sure Israel and the Palestinians would find a way to live together as long they they both kick their extremists (like the Likud, Netanyahu and Hamas) down the shaft
We also need to convey to these people to keep their violence OVER THERE. We already have our own share of right wing morons to deal with
The protest is nothing compared to the protest six million voters would have held if trump had been able to steal the election that he lost by millions of votes.