Roughly 40 people held back tears as names of children killed in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict were read last night at Churchill Square during a brief candlelight vigil.
The names of Palestinian children who were killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza were read as part of an international Facebook movement by a group called Mothers Across the World For Gaza.
Another group of people representing a Jewish advocacy group staged a “counter vigil” to read names of children who died after Hamas-rocket fired attacks on Israel.
“There are losses on both sides,” said Shoshana Szlachter with B’nai Brith, a local Jewish advocacy group.
“When I first heard about this (vigil), I felt it was one-sided and we mourn the loss of any child anywhere in the world. There is tragedy on both sides.”
Leslea Kroll, one of three people that read the names of dead Palestinian children, says the movement is an opportunity to express condolences to the “people in Gaza.”
“It is going to be an emotional and exhaustive effort,” said Kroll about reading the names.
The movement, says Kroll, also included gatherings in San Jose, Manchester, Helsinki and Cape Town — all within 24 hours yesterday.
There were tense moments between the groups while the names were read when Kroll lashed out at chatterers.
“I have come here in peace while I am reading these names,” she said.
