HOUSTON — On the steps of City Hall, calls to "Free Palestine" echoed through the streets of downtown Houston with one intent.
"We are protesting the rights for the Palestinian people to defend their land, and for the Palestinian people, the right to fight off the occupying force," said Khalid, a "Free Palestine" supporter.
This, as the Israeli Defense Minister announced a complete siege of Gaza, preventing the entry of basic necessities like electricity, fuel, and food, in response to the Hamas attacks in Israel a week ago.
"We ask that innocent civilians in Gaza are liberated," said Noor Salam with the Palestinian Youth Movement.
"We agree and we say that the violence must end and in order for the violence to end we must, number one, put an end to Israel’s inhumane and illegal besiegement of the Gaza strip and we must put an end to the over $3.8 billion the United States gives to the Israeli military each year to continue funding the bombing of the Gaza strip," said Fouad Salah, who helped organize Saturday's protest.
While falling back on the history of that corner of the world, wanting to right a wrong in the name of Islam.
"We’re here today to raise a voice of justice, freedom and equality for the Palestinian people as they struggle to survive under 16 years of besiegement and 75 years of colonization," said Salah.
"Islam commands justice, if I wronged you you take your right, if I wronged him he takes his right, the Palestinian people have been wronged, the Palestinian people have had their land stripped from under them," said Khalid.
Saturday's protest was one of many held across the country as the war in the Middle East rages on.
Houston police said two people were detained at Saturday's protest downtown. One was eventually released. The other was given a ticket for setting off fireworks within the city limits, which is a Class-C misdemeanor.