Gorge Gaza Action marks 100 consecutive Fridays

HOOD RIVER — Around 15-20 demonstrators braved brisk conditions downtown on Nov. 21 for a milestone: 100-straight Fridays of sign-wielding, chanting and harmonizing in protest of the ongoing, U.S.-funded genocide in Gaza, according to organizers.

“It’s good to celebrate the steadfastness of this witness while also heartbreaking that we’ve had to be out here for this long,” said Vickie Stifter, pastor at Riverside Community Church.

After organizing an initial interfaith peace vigil on Dec. 22, 2023, Stifter coordinated with John Boonstra, the former pastor of Bethel United Church of Christ, and Miranda Bermes, the pastor at Spirit of Grace Lutheran-Methodist, to establish a lasting presence in the Gorge.

Every Friday afternoon since, dozens of people have convened at the corner of Second and State streets, standing in solidarity with Palestine and Palestinian self-determination. Under the name Gorge Gaza Action, the group has steadily grown over time, eclipsing 125 total members, with anywhere from 10-60 showing out each week.

There is no barrier to entry; Gorge Gaza Action welcomes all who wish to participate, regardless of age, political ideology or creed. Stifter, whose sign read “We stand with Jewish Voice for Peace!” continues to engage in conversation with the anti-Zionist, Jewish-Palestine solidarity organization, which explicitly separates Judaism from the state of Israel and its actions.

According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, close to 70,000 Palestinians have been murdered by the Israeli military since the tragic events of Oct. 7, 2023 — a toll that continues to rise as more bodies are unearthed from the rubble. These numbers do not reflect lives lost to “indirect” causes, such as famine and disease, as Israel continues to block life-saving aid from reaching Palestinians.

The U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal, which went into effect on Oct. 11, has proven fragile. The Israeli government has violated the agreement countless times, carrying out near-daily attacks and killing more than 310 Palestinians in the process.

“We are under no illusions. The so-called ceasefire did not end Israel’s military genocide of Palestinians,” Boonstra said. “This marks a new phase, a re-making of genocide.”

According to a report for Brown University’s Costs of War project, Israel is the biggest recipient of U.S. military aid in history and has received $21.7 billion since Oct. 7, 2023. Since the Trump administration took office, arms sales have surpassed $10.1 billion.

“This is unlike anything I’ve experienced in my lifetime, and it’s being done with our money and in our name,” Stifter said. “It could stop in a heartbeat if our leaders stood up.”

Resident painter and sign maker Janet Essly has made more than 25 signs for demonstrators to hold. Beyond creating emotionally resonant pieces, both beautiful and tragic, Essly also tries to ensure readability for cars and pedestrians passing by quickly or at a distance.

In her latest work, a pair of eyes, a green-and-yellow backdrop and the word “ENOUGH” in bold, red lettering illustrate a Palestinian University of Oregon graduate who returned to and remains in Gaza (see photo, this page). According to Essly, the student was in the process of moving to Ireland for graduate school but was stranded after the war exploded.

Co-organizer Bermes proudly waved the Palestinian flag to and fro during the demonstration. They consider Gorge Gaza Action’s weekly protests as a grounding exercise — a buoy that allows the group to organize other opportunities, such as educational, discussion-based events.

“I’m under no delusion that standing on a street corner in my little town every Friday is going to end the genocide,” Bermes said. “But as long as it continues, it is my responsibility as a clergy person and a community member to make sure we remember that we are not disconnected from Palestinians. They are a part of humanity, and the longer we allow their suffering to continue, the more we collectively lose our humanity.”

Even if they can’t move the needle, Boonstra is proud of his community’s unwavering persistence, organizing week-in and week-out against blatant injustice. “It represents that political change doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “Part of what makes 100 days special is the realization that it takes a long time.”

As the sun set, giving way to a chilly fall evening, Bermes led the group in song, repeating the lyrics “we who work for freedom cannot rest until it comes.”

Gorge Gaza Action gathers at 4:30-5 p.m., and will continue to do so until there is “some guarantee that Palestinians are going to have a place at the table to determine their own future,” Boonstra said. “I don’t see that in the cards. I can’t see an end to our being here.”