On one of the first warm days of the year, families flocked towards the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Sticky-fingered children grabbed arcade controllers. Spilled popcorn and candy wrappers littered the ground. But unlike any other day, a chant could be heard in the distance with a clear message:
“Stop Bombing Children,” a voice screamed into a megaphone, and a wave of voices echoed: “Stop Bombing Children!”
On Jan. 28, hundreds of Santa Cruz residents gathered near Lighthouse State Beach and marched down West Cliff Drive, through the arcade, and onto the boardwalk. Palestine Solidarity Central Coast organized the action in solidarity with the week-long Global Strike for Gaza called for by Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda.
“We civilians across the world do not have the tools of war!” Bisan wrote in her Instagram post calling for the strike. “We only have our throats in the demonstrations and our boycott of the economic movement in our countries, especially those that support the genocide committed by Israel in Gaza!”
Supporters of the strike encouraged people to skip school and work and refrain from shopping for the entirety of the week from Jan. 21-28. The goal was to disrupt the global economy to urge world leaders to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement
For the past 18 years, the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement has urged people to stop buying from companies that support Israel’s actions in Palestine. Bisan and other pro-Palestinian activists called for consumers to participate in the movement.
“I think the thing that motivates our politics and our leaders the most is money,” said an attendee of the Jan. 28 protest. “Not spending money is one of the only things that will get their attention because it’s really the only thing that they care about.”
Historically, the movement has pushed corporations, such as Ben & Jerry’s, to end their investments in Israel by boycotting them until their demands were met. McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski claims that they have seen an impact on their business from “misinformation” associated with the wars in the Middle East.
Thousands have rallied in countries across the world like the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Senegal, Italy, Turkey, and the United States. Activists took to the streets, blocked roads, and walked out of schools. In Colorado, protestors blocked Colfax Avenue and Speer Boulevard, two of the busiest streets running through Denver, as part of the strike. In France, thousands marched through the streets of Paris, holding posters and chanting. In Italy, activists protested throughout Milan in support of the ceasefire.
Like many schools across the country, students at Harvard and Columbia University have held protests urging their schools to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. In Santa Cruz, the boardwalk protest was just one of many. Since November 2023, UC Santa Cruz students have held multiple protests and rallies against the idea of profit over people.
“It’s so important to support boycotts, strikes, and marches to show that there are people looking out for [Palestinians] and to show the government that people are watching their actions and that we don’t agree with them,” said a Santa Cruz protester. “Voices in Palestine are being silenced right now, and if I have the privilege to speak for them, I’m taking that chance.”
Editor’s note: Due to students at other universities having their personal information leaked as a result of their views, City on a Hill Press will not publish speakers’ or interviewees’ names or identifying characteristics.
