Sac State students joined community activists Thursday at the State Capitol building to demand an end to what they labeled as “Israeli aggression” and American complicity against Palestinians? goals.

The rally avoided the tense verbal confrontations that erupted between supporters of Israel and Palestine during similar demonstration two days earlier at UC Berkeley. That event resulted in 79 arrests after protestors laid siege to a campus building.

The protest at Berkeley escalated when pro-Palestinian demonstrators clashed with Jewish students participating in a Holocaust day of remembrance activity.

UC Berkeley?s student newspaper The Daily California, reported that the two demonstrations were held on April 9 because the day holds significance for both Jewish and Muslim student organizations. Neither group was willing to reschedule.

Yassar Dahbour, a member of the Sacramento Muslim community who assisted in organizing the rally, said the protestors at the state capitol were prepared to stand their ground in the event of a confrontation with opposition groups after fliers advertising the demonstration were torn down last week.

Dahbour, armed with a megaphone, led protestors in chants directed at Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and U.S. president George Bush. The crowd chanted, “Sharon Sharon you can?t hide, you are charged with genocide!” Other chants of “no peace, no justice,” and “long live Palestine,” echoed through the Capitol mall. The protestors paraded around the grounds in front of the Capitol building, inciting honks and cheers from passing motorists. Signs were carried baring the words, “Palestinian blood is on Bush?s hands,” and “Hitler = Sharon.”

Dahbour said the protest was aimed at ending the “military machine” being used by Sharon to continue what he called the aggression of Israeli occupation. American weapons technology and tax dollars have contributed to atrocities committed against the Palestinian people, Dahbour said.

CHP officers patrolled the area on foot, bicycle, and horseback to maintain order in case of an outbreak similar to the Berkeley incident, according to public affairs officer David Brunelle.

The CHP reported no arrests or incidents requiring their intervention.

The demonstration drew approximately 300 protestors and onlookers including 40 ? 50 students from Sac State, according to Nina Shoman, president of Students for Justice in Palestine.

Shoman said she was very pleased with the outcome of the event but urged supporters to continue the fight to end the occupation of Palestinian land.

“By any means, this is not the end of it,” she said.

Although Sac State has not experienced the fiery confrontations that occurred at UC Berkeley, campus groups are becoming increasingly active in presenting this issue to students.

Julie Rehman, president of the Jewish Student Union said her organization is opting not to schedule similar, large-scale protests in hopes of avoiding negative confrontations with opposition groups.

The Jewish Student Union hopes to maintain good relations with Muslim organizations by limiting activities to information booths designed to give students a broad perspective on the Israel Palestine conflict.

Rehman said that although she fully supports the efforts of pro-Palestinian groups on campus to provide students with information regarding this issue, she is concerned about some of the messages expressed in the demonstration. “Innocent lives are being lost on both sides,” Rehman said. “Right now we don?t need hate.”

Both sides want the same thing, she said.

“We both want peace.”

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