On September 20, 2025, the humid air in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was charged with purpose as roughly 150 people gathered at John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park. The group, organized by Oklahomans Against Occupation—a coalition formed in October 2023—marched in solidarity with Palestinians under siege in Gaza. Their chants, including “Free, free Palestine,” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” echoed through the city’s Arts District, signaling a city alive with activism and a cause that resonated far beyond its borders.
Oklahomans Against Occupation has swiftly become a key player in the state’s pro-Palestinian movement, working alongside the Palestine Solidarity Working Group to coordinate protests and educational teach-ins across Oklahoma. This effort is not isolated; student groups like Students for Justice in Palestine at both the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have hosted their own protests, calling on university administrations to divest from companies complicit in Israel’s military occupation. Meanwhile, Free Palestine Tulsa, another activist group, maintains a steady drumbeat of dissent, holding weekly protests every Thursday against what they describe as Israel’s military occupation and the starvation of Palestinians.
Yet, as activism has grown, so too has legislative resistance. According to The Progressive, Oklahoma state legislators recently passed HB 3967, a law that prohibits state agencies from working with companies that boycott Israel. Earlier this year, the state enacted two “Antisemitism Awareness” bills, codifying the International Holocaust Remembrance Association’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. This definition controversially includes political speech, such as “claiming that the existence of Israel is a racist endeavor.” Advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, argue that these measures stifle free speech and target those who voice dissent toward Israel, making it easier to suppress political voices and organizations like Oklahomans Against Occupation. The debate over these laws has heightened the risks for those gathering in solidarity with Palestinians, raising questions about the balance between combating hate and protecting civil liberties.
During the September 20 march, the sense of unity was palpable. Strangers became comrades, their voices woven together in what one participant described as a “rhythm of resistance against the genocide in Gaza.” The rally that followed featured Dr. Talal Ali Khan, a nephrologist who worked in several hospitals in Gaza the previous summer. His words painted a grim picture: “When I entered Gaza, I felt like I was stepping into a cement graveyard.” Dr. Khan recounted the devastation he witnessed, emphasizing that hospitals—once considered sacred—were now routinely bombed, a violation of international law by Israel. Despite the bleakness, he urged the crowd not to lose hope: “We have a responsibility. Our courage and our humanity need to rise up, at whatever capacity.”
The activism seen in Tulsa is mirrored in other parts of the country, where the conflict in Gaza continues to spark heated debate and protest. Just days later, on September 24, 2025, former US Vice President Kamala Harris faced a different, but equally intense, expression of public sentiment during the launch of her book tour in New York City. The event, held at a packed Times Square performance center, was interrupted four times by pro-Palestinian protesters. According to The National, demonstrators inside accused Harris of complicity in the war and blamed her for Palestinian suffering. One protester shouted, “Your legacy is genocide. The blood of the Palestinians is on your hands,” while another declared, “This is your fault.”
Harris, undeterred, addressed the disruptions directly. “What’s happening to the Palestinian people is outrageous and it breaks my heart,” she told the audience, expressing compassion for Palestinian suffering. She also took aim at President Donald Trump, sharply criticizing him for giving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “a blank cheque to do whatever he wants.” Harris reminded the crowd that she had spoken publicly about starvation in Gaza a year and a half ago, even when it was unpopular within the Biden administration. “The reality of it is where we are right now didn’t have to be this way—in terms of the blank check that this president has given,” she said.
Outside the venue, dozens of activists protested, while inside, the atmosphere remained tense. Harris urged the audience to “take the temperature down” and acknowledged the protesters’ concerns: “I understand your concern and how you feel—I think I do.” Throughout the evening, she repeatedly criticized Trump and his allies, likening their approach to dissent to “a communist dictatorship.”
The political back-and-forth did not end there. Earlier that day, Trump had taken to social media to attack Harris, calling her “DUMB AS A ROCK” after she described the 2024 election as the closest of the 21st century—a claim that, as several outlets pointed out, was factually incorrect. The US does not elect presidents by popular vote; Trump lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton in 2016 but won the presidency through the electoral college. His 2024 victory over Harris, 312-226, was not the closest in recent memory.
The deep divisions over US policy on Israel and Palestine are echoed not just among politicians, but within American communities. At the New York event, audience opinions about Harris’s future were split. Valerie Lewis, 56, expressed hope that Harris would run for president again, saying she would "love" to see her campaign. Her husband, Eugene Dixon, 65, was more skeptical: “She can’t do it. I don’t believe America is ready to have a woman president.”
Back in Oklahoma, the sense of purpose and unity among protesters stands in contrast to the legislative clampdown they face. As the state continues to pass laws that restrict the ability to protest or even speak out against Israeli policies, activists worry about the future of free speech and the right to dissent. The tension between advocacy and authority is palpable, and both sides show no signs of backing down.
Across the US, the conflict in Gaza remains a flashpoint—igniting protests in the streets of Tulsa, passionate debate in New York auditoriums, and fierce arguments in the halls of government. For those marching in Oklahoma and for the politicians facing tough questions in New York, the struggle is about more than foreign policy. It’s about the fundamental rights to speak, protest, and demand change, even when the stakes—and the risks—are high.
As autumn settles over the country, the voices calling for justice in Gaza are unlikely to fade. Whether in the heartland or on the coasts, Americans are grappling with the weight of international conflict, the boundaries of free speech, and the power of protest to shape the future.
