Pro-Palestinian Activists Demonstrate at Rep. Carbajal’s Santa Barbara Office

Group Presented a Letter of Demands for a Ceasefire and Marched on State Street

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered by Rep. Salud Carbajal's office to oppose his support for Israel in the country's war with Hamas. | Credit: Sierra van der Brug

Dozens of protestors gathered outside of Representative Salud Carbajal’s downtown Santa Barbara office on Tuesday to oppose the District 24 congressmember’s support of President Biden’s diplomacy in Israel amid the Israel-Hamas War and to advocate for Palestinians.

Carbajal has expressed support for President Biden’s leadership and decisions in the Middle East, both on X (formerly Twitter) and as a signatory of a October 20 letter to the president regarding Gaza. Part of the letter addressed the humanitarian situation, reading “a commitment to Israel’s security and right to respond to terror is not incompatible with a commitment to the humanitarian needs of the innocent people of Gaza.”

Before heading for Carbajal’s office on De la Guerra Street, the protesters assembled in front of the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, holding signs while chanting “Viva, viva Palestine” and “Carbajal, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” and circulating a letter with a list of demands for signatures.

The demands were read aloud by Barbara Parmet with Santa Barbara’s chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Zionist organization, which held the protest together with the Central Coast Anti-War Coalition and CODEPINK, a nonprofit whose website describes it to be “a feminist grassroots organization working to end U.S. warfare and imperialism.”

The letter asked for ceasefire, specifically for Carbajal to join the Ceasefire Now Resolution, a congressional resolution calling for a de-escalation of the fighting between Israel and “occupied Palestine.” The resolution, announced on October 16, is currently backed by 18 representatives, including Cori Bush, Ilhan Omar, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Sophia Fadila, left, explains the need for a ceasefire to Erica Reyes, district director for Rep. Carbajal’s Santa Barbara office, with Marcy Winograd. | Photo Credit: Sierra van der Brug

Other demands in the Jewish Voice for Peace letter include the establishment of a humanitarian corridor; sending delegations from the United States, including doctors and emergency personnel, to show support and exert pressure; and a hold on all military aid to Israel.

Carbajal was in Washington, DC, today, but at his office door, Erica Reyes, the district director, received the letter. “I appreciate hearing the voices of our constituents,” she said, “regardless of which side they are on in this conflict.” She acknowledged the passionate voices — some with a Palestinian background — and affirmed she would send the letter to Carbajal.

The protesters marched on to State Street — sometimes taking to the middle of the street — and circled back to Carbajal’s office. As they walked, the group attracted many honks from passing cars.

One demonstrator carried her infant daughter as well as a sign that read “Ceasefire Now” and “Peace Is a Birthright.” Marlowe Daly said she brought her daughter to the demonstration because she wanted her to be a part of something Daly believes in.

“There’s so many children that are in Gaza losing their lives, and I’m so blessed that we have this freedom here. Everyone deserves that. The children there deserve that too,” Daly said. “It’s important for us, with all of our abundance here in the United States especially, to stand up for the people who are dealing with so much injustice and to help them have a voice. It’s our humanity.”

Sophia Fadila, a Palestinian-American resident of Santa Barbara, stated she had voted for Carbajal in 2022, but had decided to pull her support: “I’m disappointed with his response. If he runs again, I am not going to vote for him, because he has clearly showed his unhumanitarian part.”

As the demonstration came to a close, Helena Pasquarella, who hopes to challenge Carbajal in 2024, addressed the crowd, after collecting signatures for her run. Pasquarella, director of Media and Community Outreach at the Ojai-based US Department of Peace, urged voters to keep her platform of peace in mind and to call Carbajal’s office every day in support of a ceasefire.

“He should be a leader calling for peace. He’s not leading for humanity and peace,” Pasquarella said of Carbajal. “He’s part of the old-school guard and we need a change.”