The Israel-Hamas War is a major conflict centered in the Gaza Strip. It began on October 7, 2023. This followed a huge surprise attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The war has transformed Middle-Eastern geography and resulted in catastrophic deaths. More than 72,000 have been killed, and on the Israeli side, 2,000 people including soldiers have passed away.
Gaza has suffered catastrophic damage to infrastructure and widespread food and medical care shortages. Because of the overall damage and horrific events happening, people are standing up to support Palestine in many ways, with one group called “Punks 4 Palestine” protesting and showing their awareness through music.
So far there have been three Punks 4 Palestine concerts. The upcoming one on June 7th will be the fourth concert. It will go from 5-9PM at the Mobash Skatepark in Missoula. The group organizing these concerts is Montana for Palestine which is a nonprofit organization. Organizers say they want the community to be engaged and show solidarity for all that is happening in Palestine. They are raising money to give to families that need support and that are affected by all the damages, and they do this through their events. An organizer of this group, Josh Byrd, says that music has always been a passion for him.
“Music has a long extensive history of being involved in protests and resistance movements,” Josh explained. After a long time spent brainstorming, the group’s love of alliteration ended with the idea of Punks 4 Palestine. From there, the first concert was born and it was a raging success, raising $1500. Since the first concert, they have decided to do one a season to continue raising awareness and raising money for Palestinian families.
Punks 4 Palestine concerts have previously been held at The Zacc in downtown Missoula, which is a community arts center. About 100 people show up at each concert because of the limited space. Because the upcoming concert is during summer, organizers wanted it to be bigger, “It’s kind of a center piece of downtown Missoula,” Josh says. “It’s got a little bit of punk to it because you know, punk skateboarding.”
June 7th is expected to be more than just a concert, it’s a chance for people to show up and air frustration for all the tragedies that have occurred in Palestine. Organizers have labeled the event as more of a protest. There will be tables from nonprofit organizations around town with information, as well as a Punks for Palestine table with information regarding the families they are supporting in Palestine.
Montana for Palestine has 120 individuals in Palestine that they support from the money they have raised through events. The money goes straight to the families, not to anyone in the organization. The families choose how they receive the money. Some links on the Montana for Palestine website lead to PayPal, GoFundMe, and Venmo. “We try to make the process as easy for them as possible because it is already a very difficult situation,” Josh says.
Organizers say they send representatives to areas regularly, however, Palestine is no longer an option because of the chaos and war. “Our best option is going to Egypt where we meet with family members of people that need support. We do this so we know we are dealing with real individuals and the money is going to people that need it,” he explains. This process gives organizers a chance to connect with people face to face and understand exactly what they need so they can receive support.
Punks 4 Palestine concerts are meant to send a message of solidarity. Organizers want people to walk away from events informed and with a feeling of comfort, support, and advocacy. “This is something that our own country is helping perpetuate, so a lot of us are angry about it,” Josh states. These events help people join together and take action to make change. There are things that can be done even if they feel small. Even knowing exactly what is going on makes a difference, and Josh hopes that people understand what is going on from participating in events.
Punks 4 Palestine has two original songs right now, Josh grew up listening to Rage Against the Machine, Tool, Rise Against, and Black Sabbath. Those bands are mainly rock and have many political messages behind them. Josh produces the songs in his band and bases them off what he used to listen to. The lyrics in his songs are about political messages and what is going on in the world currently.
Organizers of Montana for Palestine hope that the younger generations will get involved and take interest in what is happening in our world. “My hope is that in school you’re getting experience being exposed to different perspectives,” Josh says. Outside of schooling students can do their own research as well and get involved by finding different organizations. Most organizations have monthly meetings to attend, and there are protests and events for everyone to go to as well. Although it may be difficult to start being a young activist, it gets easier as time passes. There are many people who have similar opinions in activist groups and it is overall a supportive and positive environment.
“I want students to know that getting involved is important, just start, throw yourself out there,” Josh says. It’s never too early to get involved, many organizers say they wish they took action in their earlier years. However, no matter the age, Punks 4 Palestine’s goal is to make a change in the world, from raising awareness for all to helping Palestinian families.
