On Friday, Sept. 5, Santa Cruz community members will gather for a daylong public vigil to honor and mourn more than 18,000 children reportedly killed in Gaza over the past three years of Israeli military operations.
The event, organized by Know Our Names, will take place on the steps of the Santa Cruz County Courthouse from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Throughout the day, volunteers will read aloud the names of Palestinian children killed in the conflict. Organizers say the event is both a memorial and a call for accountability and awareness.
A press conference will be held at noon, featuring a Native Land Ceremony and speakers addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and U.S. involvement through military funding. Speakers include Rolla Alyadi, a Monterey County teacher who lost over 200 family members in Gaza; Christine Hong, a UC Santa Cruz professor and member of Faculty for Justice in Palestine; Rabbi Chel Mandell, speaking from an anti-Zionist Jewish perspective; and local mental health and education professionals.
Following the press conference, a quilt titled Babies in Gaza Who Never Made It to Their First Birthday will be unveiled. Created by 32 local participants, the 15×15-foot quilt honors the youngest victims, with each block featuring 20 names.
At 4 p.m., a silent sidewalk march will begin at Ocean and Water Streets, with participants encouraged to wear black and carry flowers. The march will proceed to the Town Clock and continue to Pacific and Cooper Streets. From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the vigil will feature a performance titled Movement Ceremony: Embody Our Grief. As night falls, projections of images from Gaza and global protest movements will be shown, while name readings continue into the night.
Organizers invite the public to join at any time during the day to stand in remembrance. Donations are being accepted to support humanitarian efforts through the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, World Central Kitchen, and a campaign supporting Alyadi’s remaining family members in Gaza.
More information is available by emailing [email protected].