Protestors gather at the Capitol to call for ceasefire in Gaza

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Protestors were at the Michigan Capitol Friday afternoon, demanding more be done about the war overseas. Urging local legislators to support a ceasefire and threatening to withhold support for President Biden’s re-election campaign if more action isn’t taken.

“Rallies are very, very important to show numbers but then afterwards using that number to push for calling on representatives, senators, strikes or anything of that sort. In the Lansing area, I think it’s been very helpful since the Lansing City Council just passed a ceasefire resolution,” said Saba Saed, the Vice President of Michigan State University’s Arab Cultural Society.

In addition to an immediate ceasefire, the rally crowd voiced their concerns with the President ahead of the November election. With a large Arab population in the state, they are asking President Biden to do more and if he can’t, he could lose the state when it comes time to vote.

“Our communities: the Arab communities, the Muslim communities, we will not stand by him if he’s just going to be silent and ignore genocide happening,” said Malak Ghazal, an organizer for Kalamazoo Non-Violent Opponents of War.

An ongoing battle between Israel and Hamas, has bled into the Greater Lansing Area. Especially, on Michigan State University’s campus where at the Israel student association, Hillel, say they are concerned about their safety.

“People who support Israel are being targeted directly whether that be anti-semitism, whether that is just general violence. The important thing I will mention with that, it’s not by the people who have Palestinian families it’s by all of the other people who all of a sudden have an opinion,” said Nate Strauss, the Assistant Director for Hillel.

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