As Israeli troops marched farther into Gaza, about 300 people marched through the streets of Albuquerque's Old Town on Saturday, protesting Israel's advance.
The protesters began at the plaza and walked to the Museum of Natural History and Science, where speakers called for Israel's immediate withdrawal from Gaza.
Lori Rudolph, who recently returned from a visit to the Middle East, said Israel's aggression is a genocidal action and that Americans are to blame if they do not speak out against it.
"It's an action that is being supported carte blanche by the U.S. government, so we are definitely implicated in the carnage that is taking place," she said.
Lynn Provencio, president of UNM Israel Alliance, showed up to counter the pro-Palestinian demonstration.
Provencio exchanged heated words with an opposing group of women, arguing that Hamas is a genocidal regime.
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"Israel is right to attack Gaza and continue attacking, because Hamas is a racist regime that calls for death to Israel, death to Jews, death to America and for Islamic control of the world," she said. "Israel not only has the right to crush Hamas in Gaza; it has the obligation to do that. The U.N. and Western powers are wrong in not backing Israel fully."
At 1:30 p.m., police arrived to force people off the medians and onto the sidewalks, backing up traffic for three blocks each direction.
Daniel Romero, holding a "Save Gaza" sign, refused to leave. Officers threatened to arrest him, and a fellow demonstrator tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't budge.
"I didn't come here planning on getting arrested," Romero said. "I've protested in this exact same spot, and this is the first time I've ever been threatened with arrest."
Romero and another protester stayed in the median and were not arrested.
Across the street, Saham Aggat, 18, wore a hooded sweatshirt with a drawing by Palestinian cartoonist Nagil Ali of a dirty, barefooted child holding his hands behind his back, head drooping.
"This picture is found all around Palestine as a symbol that we're not going to give up," Aggat said. "We are going to fight for what we believe in."
About 15 children protested with their parents on the pro-Palestinian side.
Ahmed Awad stood alongside his mother and two siblings, shouting, "Save the children, stop the war."
The 9-year-old held back tears as he talked about why he was at the protest.
"I want to support (my country) a lot because lots of people are dying," Awad said. "I feel bad because all those people are dying and we can't do nothing about it."
The next demonstration will take place Saturday at noon at the intersection of Central Avenue and Tulane Drive
