Several dozen protesters gathered across the street from Fresno High School on Wednesday to support teachers speaking out about the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The demonstration was organized by Raza Against War, a local activist group that typically protests weekly at the Robert E. Coyle Federal Courthouse but moved its rally to the high school for the day.

“We are here in support of teachers and also to call attention to the fact that, yesterday, October 7, was the second anniversary of the latest stage in the history of Palestine,” Stan Santos of Raza Against War said. “This generation of young people, we believe, are opening their eyes because they’re looking at all different types of media.”

The protest coincided with a national campaign led by Educators for Palestine, a caucus of the National Education Association. In a news release, the group said more than 100 K-12 educators across the United States were participating in a three-day hunger strike from Oct. 8–10 to draw attention to the conflict and urge policymakers to act.

At Fresno High, teacher Marina Santos said the local protest was meant to help students understand global issues.

“By having this protest, it draws them (students) into the international globe of what is going on in the world,” she said. “It’s important to have this discourse because the gate (of the school) doesn’t separate the realities that they face.”

Santos criticized the school for attempting to drown out the protest.

“It is interesting how our school site will talk about what it means to be international, but they will play music to drown out free speech and empathy for people that are dying,” she said.

As the protest unfolded, several hundred students looked through the gates to watch, while others continued on their way.