On Sunday afternoon, Missoula witnessed a pro-Palestine demonstration amidst a Republican fundraiser attended by Donald Trump Jr.
Approximately 60 protesters gathered outside the University of Montana’s University Center, expressing solidarity with Palestine, condemning U.S. support for Israel, and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Despite intermittent rain and light hail, Palestinian flags waved, and chants of “Fund schools, not genocide” echoed across the plaza.
The group, led by Brendan Work, co-founder of Montanans for Palestine, voiced discontent with the politicians inside, including Rep. Ryan Zinke and Gov. Greg Gianforte.
A lone counter-protester, Jon Murphy, stood with an Israeli flag, asserting Israel’s right to exist and defending Jewish rights. Tensions arose as he clashed with pro-Palestinian demonstrators over historical narratives.
Brendan Work criticized Zinke’s proposal to ban Palestinians from entering the U.S. and Gianforte’s deployment of the National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border, calling them “outright fascists.”
He emphasized Missoula’s support for Palestinian liberation and denounced apartheid-like conditions in Israel.
Murphy, whose family survived the Holocaust, lamented what he perceived as ignorance among the pro-Palestinian demonstrators, rejecting their stance as intolerant and uneducated.
The demonstration concluded peacefully after about an hour, with participants dispersing across campus. Trump Jr., attending the fundraiser, downplayed the protest’s significance, joking about its size.
