Credit: Mike Greenlar | Central Current

After digging a symbolic grave in front of the Federal Building to protest the war in Gaza, several members of Syracuse Veterans for Peace were arrested Monday.

The veterans were protesting the deaths of children in Gaza. Syracuse Veterans for Peace is a local organization made of veterans who fight for the abolishment of war.

The most recent conflict in Gaza, between Israel and Hamas, started Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people in Israel. More than 250 other people were abducted by the militants.

Since then, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in attacks by Israel. While Central Current couldn’t independently verify the death tolls painted onto the tombstone created by Syracuse Veterans for Peace, a six-month review undertaken by the United Nations found more than 70% of those who died in Gaza to be women and children.

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Mike Greenlar is a local freelance photojournalist with over four decades of experience covering assignments for newspapers, magazines and online websites. He recently received two national awards with...