Protest to Demand End to U.S. Support for Israel’s Starvation Campaign in Gaza
(SUNRISE, FL, 8/6/2025) — On Friday, August 8, the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Florida), together with a coalition of interfaith and civil rights organizations including Jewish Voice for Peace–South Florida, the South Florida Muslim Federation, Al-Awda South Florida, ICNA Council for Social Justice, and American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), will hold an emergency “Pots and Pans” protest and interfaith community vigil outside the district office of U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25).
Attendees will rally by banging pots and pans to protest the war in Gaza and the mass starvation of Palestinians. The event will conclude with interfaith prayers, as well as recitations from the Quran and poetry.
Organizers are calling on Rep. Wasserman Schultz to publicly denounce the ongoing starvation of children in Gaza and to demand an end to U.S. funding for what they describe as Israel’s illegal and genocidal starvation campaign.
WHAT: Emergency “Pots and Pans” Protest and Interfaith Vigil
WHEN: Friday, Aug. 8, 4 – 6 p.m. ET
WHERE: Office of U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
777 Sawgrass Corporate Parkway, Sunrise, FL 33325
CONTACTS: Wilfredo A. Ruiz, Communications Director, CAIR-Florida | wruiz@cair.com | 305-502-6749; Donna Nevel, Jewish Voice for Peace–South Florida | dnevel@gmail.com | 917-570-4371; Samir Kakli, South Florida Muslim Federation | skakli@soflomuslims.com| 954-610-9843
WHY NOW:
Since October 7, 2023, more than 60,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has warned that Gaza has faced catastrophic levels of food insecurity, with over 500,000 Palestinians on the brink of famine for nearly two years.
Israel’s continued blockade has restricted critical humanitarian aid, with thousands of trucks stuck at Gaza’s border. At least 147 Palestinians — including 88 children — have died of starvation, though the actual toll is believed to be far higher. Over 1,100 Palestinians have reportedly been killed at or near aid distribution sites targeted by Israeli forces.
Wilfredo A. Ruiz, CAIR-Florida Communications Director, stated: “This man-made famine — designed and executed by Israel — is one of the most brutal and deliberate war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza. It is carried out with the full complicity of the U.S. Congress. Rep. Wasserman Schultz has consistently voted in favor of funding this genocide and must be held accountable.”
Ken Barnes of Jewish Voice for Peace–South Florida added: “At the heart of our protest is one undeniable truth: Israel is deliberately starving the people of Gaza. This is not a consequence of war—it is a tactic. Food insecurity in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. Children are dying of hunger. Families are being denied access to the most basic necessities of life. This is not collateral damage; it is forced starvation, a war crime under international law. We will not be silent.”
CAIR-Florida is the state’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, foster dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
La misión de CAIR-Florida es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.
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