A group of local protesters unveiled three large banners above Highway 99 in Merced County during rush hour traffic Wednesday evening to call attention to widespread famine in the Gaza Strip.
Organizers with the Merced-based group, 2nd Sunday Solidarity Coalition, led the banner drop, which drew participants from Delhi, Merced, Modesto and Turlock.
About 15 protesters convened on a freeway overpass in Delhi, an unincorporated community in Merced County, to demand an end to Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza, where more than 1,000 Palestinian people have been killed by Israeli armed forces since May while attempting to obtain food at aid distribution sites.
The demonstration comes as a growing number of Americans question the ongoing military actions in Gaza, amid images of children dying from starvation.
A recent Gallup poll indicates Americans’ support of Israel’s military action in Gaza is now at 32%, the lowest reading since the support question was asked in Nov. 2023, according to Gallup.
“Stop funding Israel. Stop funding genocide,” said one of the organizers, Adam Shane, 44, as he described the general message of Wednesday’s action. Shane is a registered nurse in Merced and a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, an international grassroots and anti-Zionist organization led by Jewish people.
Participants displayed banners, posters and Palestinian flags during the nearly three-hour demonstration. Afterward, the group removed the banners from the overpass.
Although the event remained peaceful, protesters encountered opposition from a few passing drivers, including one who circled the area three times in a dark-colored truck, leaving a trail of black smoke in its path.
The act is referred to as “rolling coal” and is the deliberate emission of excessive amounts of diesel exhaust from a vehicle as a form of intimidation.
Protesters were also met with expletives and obscene hand gestures from some drivers. Still, many more passersby routinely honked their horns in support of the protesters’ actions.
Daniel Garibay, 27, arrived at the demonstration waving an 8-foot-Mexican flag and another Palestinian flag. After the protest, they said they were overcome with emotion.
“This action was historical. I hope this protest has inspired our Delhi community to show up and use their voice,” said Garibay, who has lived throughout Merced County.
Soquel Guardado, 37, a Delhi resident, attended the protest alone, holding a poster board with printed online images depicting emaciated children in Gaza.
“I’m tired of seeing children die on my phone,” she said.
Guardado said she was motivated to attend after finding out about the action through social media. “I’ve never seen a protest in my town,” she said.
Merced has seen support of Palestine since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people. Israeli armed forces responded with an offensive that has killed more than 60,000 Palestinian people, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Students at the University of California, Merced set up an encampment last May to protest the war in Gaza while the University of California Regents held their three-day meeting for the first time at the newest UC campus.
Prior to that, Merced City Council in December 2023 voted 4-2 against a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. One council member walked out of the council chambers after the vote, saying he was “disgusted” by his colleagues.
“If you’re opposing this, you’re not alone,” said Maria-Elena Young, 43, as she left the Delhi protest.
