Missouri Students for Justice in Palestine members watched a Palestinian True/False documentary before their weekly march to City Hall
MSJP protesters began their day at the Missouri Theatre to watch “Three Promises,” a True/False documentary. MSJP President Isleen Atallah said True/False reached out to MSJP and offered them free tickets to the film, which told the story of a Palestinian family in the early 2000s through childhood home videos. Following the film, MSJP met at Speakers Circle and marched through True/False festivities to demand a ceasefire, ending the march in front of City Hall.
Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine President Isleen Atallah (left) offers a “Three Promises” ticket to Jaden Reed on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at the Missouri Theatre in Columbia, Mo. “The film was, to me — as a Palestinian — it was very powerful to see a time that our parents were going through so much turmoil,” Atallah said. “And then you look at the film and you realize that what you’re seeing is 1% of what the people in Gaza are suffering right now. To me, it paints a whole picture of how this has been ongoing.”
Director of Ministry of Mid-Missouri Peaceworks Mark Haim and Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine President Isleen Atallah stand in front of the Missouri Theatre before the showing of “Three Promises.” Haim handed Isleen fliers to give out during that day’s protests.
A man joins the crowd of “Three Promises” in a standing ovation as the film ends. Each year True/False selects a True Life Fund Film with the goal of collecting funds for the subjects. “Three Promises” is the 2024 True Life Fund film, with donation funds going towards the director Yousef Srouji and his family.
Columbia residents cross a street when marching to Columbia City Hall during their protest as part of the Global Day of Action on Saturday, March 2. The theme of the protest was “Hands off Rafa” to show support for maintaining Rafa as a safe place for Palestinians in Gaza.
Syed Inam holds up his daughter Alizay, 3, as she chants “Free Palestine.” “She is also understanding the pain,” Inam said. “She is too young to see that, but the world is seeing. We cannot shut our eyes.”
Protesters walk through Ninth and Cherry streets chanting “Free Palestine.” “We have come all the way out from St. Louis for this,” protester Elisa Sugar said.
Onlookers hold up peace signs showing their solidarity with the protesters from across the street. “Everytime we look around, there’s more people,” MSJP President Isleen Atallah said. “Even if our efforts don’t impact what’s happening in Gaza directly, it’s shifting the narrative. It’s shifting the whole dehumanization of Palestinians.”
MSJP President Isleen Atallah leads the back-and-forth chants with protestors at Broadway and Ninth streets on the way to Columbia City Hall. MSJP has marched to city hall demanding a ceasefire almost every Saturday since Oct. 17. “I’m genuinely exhausted,” said Atallah. “I have schoolwork, I also have a job. But it’s very important to keep that sense of community here in Columbia.”
A protester holds up a “Ceasefire Now” sign in front of Starbucks on Ninth Street. While passing Starbucks, protesters shouted, “Starbucks, Starbucks, you can’t hide — you are funding genocide.”
MSJP President Isleen Atallah speaks to the crowd of protesters at the end of the event. “I feel like [people in Columbia] have more information on Palestine,” Atallah said in an interview. “They have proper tools, proper information.”