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SALT LAKE CITY — Chanting "not one more" and "cease-fire now," a large crowd gathered first inside, then outside the state Capitol on Wednesday to draw attention to the lives lost in the Israeli military offensive in Gaza.
According to Hamas-controlled health ministry estimates, more than 10,000 people have been killed since Israel declared war over a Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed 1,400 and involved the abduction of roughly 240.
"This has to stop — enough is enough!" speaker Aziz Abuzayed said as protestors demonstrated at the capitol.
The protestors participated in a "die-in" inside the state Capitol in which demonstrators decked out in fake blood and laid on the floor, hoping to send a message to lawmakers and the public alike.
Speakers pointed out that many of the deaths have been innocents and children as they called for an end to the bloodshed.
"They were children!" Abuzayed exclaimed emotionally at one point, as he talked about some of the children who had been killed. "They were just children — they wanted to play."
Organizers said Hamas does not represent all Palestinians.
"The notion that you support Palestinians is that you are anti-Jewish or anti-Semitic, is not correct," Abuzyed told KSL-TV.
He and others said they hoped Americans and particularly politicians would take time to learn the other side of the story in Gaza.
"I know that they can hear us," Abuzayed said. "For the politicians of America, listen to the Palestinians. Listen to them and allow them to express themselves, all them to tell you their stories on how they go about their everyday life. This will change your mind."
