More than 20 people gathered Saturday in Boulder to walk for Palestinian rights and a more equitable U.S. policy toward Israel and Palestine. The walkers drew cheers, thumbs-ups, and peace signs from onlookers as they marched silently along Canyon Boulevard, carrying a banner bearing the words, “Freedom and Equality for Palestine.”

“It was very successful,” remarked Joe Seago, co-organizer of the Free Palestine Walk. “There were far more supporters than nay-sayers. I lost track of how many [car] honks we got.”

The walk brought in pro-Palestinian activists from a number of different groups, including Friends of Sabeel Colorado, the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center, and the University of Colorado’s Muslim Student Association. Seago, who participated in last year’s Free Palestine Walk in New York City that boasted over 200 walkers, was excited to meet fellow supporters in the Denver/Boulder community.

“It’s a great way to make connections,” he explained. “Not just networking with other activists, but also making people on the street aware of what’s going on in Palestine. Several people approached us and asked for fliers.”

Jan Miller, a member of the Palestinian Christian humanitarian group Friends of Sabeel Colorado, walked to “raise awareness about issues underlying the peace process.” Miller has visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and has seen first-hand the effects the conflict has had on the region.

“I’m disappointed in our elected officials in Colorado for supporting Israel rather than supporting a just peace that would allow Israelis and Palestinians to live in security,” she said.

The peaceful demonstration was just one of more than 45 across the country as part of an effort by the lobbying group American Association for Palestinian Equal Rights (AAPER) to raise money for a nationwide advertising campaign. The non-profit organization works to educate Americans about the realities of the Israeli-Palestinian situation and influence the United States government’s unbalanced policies regarding the decades-old conflict.

According to the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Congress has given over $100 billion to Israel since 1948, the year the Jewish state was founded, much of which has been in military aid. The Free Palestine Walks served to raise much-needed public awareness of the dire conditions under which 4 million Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank currently live.

Greg Faulx, whose wife is Palestinian, had an eye-opening encounter with a curious bystander. “A man came up and asked me what we were walking for, and I told him it was for Palestinian rights. He said he had no idea what was going on between Israel and Palestine,” he recalled. “People just don’t know.”

To learn more about the Free Palestine Walks and AAPER, please visit AmericansForPalestine.org.

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