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Looking to raise awareness about the conflict in Palestine, the Syracuse Peace Council hosted an “Art Build for Palestine” Sunday at the Syracuse Center for Peace and Social Justice building.

Throughout the afternoon, around 40 attendees made buttons, signs, screen-printed shirts and banners. People also cut out pamphlets and ‘zines’ — mini self-published magazines — with information related to the war in Palestine and messages for peace in the region. Those making art said they attended in solidarity with Palestine and came to build community.

Signs and buttons at the event featured Palestinian flags and phrases like “No one is free until we are all free,” “Free Palestine” and “BDS,” which refers to the boycott, divest and sanction movement. Chloe Erwin, who has volunteered with the anti-war social justice group for a year, called events like Sunday’s “essential.”

“I think art is such an important thing to have outside of protest,” Erwin said. “We need more opportunities to create art.”

Since Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7 which killed around 1,200 people and Israel’s consequent military response in Palestine — which has killed 27,000 people, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health — the SPC has participated in demonstrations around Syracuse, including January’s “We Charge Genocide” vigil.

The council announced it joined the “‘Cuse Ceasefire Coalition,” which includes groups such as Syracuse’s chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, Faculty for Justice in Palestine at Syracuse University, Syracuse Democratic Socialists of America and blackatcuse, according to a Saturday Instagram post.

Shaheemah Ashkar, a daughter of Palestinian immigrants and an online SU student studying computer programming, said she had participated in protests for Palestine but had never attended an event like the art build.

“I am Palestinian, and … the Palestinian cause is just ingrained in me. And so I just tried to get involved as much as I can,” she said. “(This event) is an effective way to community build.”

In addition to community building, some of the art, signs and zines will be used and distributed at events hosted by the SPC to spread the information in a “grassroots” manner, Erwin said. The zines are meant to spread info “people aren’t taught in school,” she said.

Kaeillyn Jimenez — a public relations, entrepreneurship and women’s studies student at SUNY Oswego — said she attended the event to meet people who also believe Israel’s military response in Palestine is “wrong.”

“I think it’s important for people to know these types of events are going on because it gives them that voice, it just lends that community support system, supporting the same cause,” Jimenez said.

Two member groups in the CCC, Resilient Indigenous Active Collection and FJP, announced on Instagram they are hosting a “rally for a free Palestine” at the Federal Building in downtown Syracuse Wednesday.

“Art is powerful. Art is essential,” Erwin said. “I hope that (attendees) feel a sense of community at every single Syracuse Peace Council event … I hope they get a sense of positivity and education that this art builds.”

Published on February 11, 2024 at 10:40 pm

Contact Griffin: gbrown19@syr.edu