On April 30, approximately 15 Gunn students headed to San Francisco to attend a rally urging President Bush and Congress to help end the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. The rally was part of the nationwide Day of Conscience for Darfur, sponsored by Our Pledge, a coalition of local human rights and religious organizations. Some 5,000 protestors turned out for the rally in San Francisco, with an additional 75,000 attending similar events across the United States.

The majority of the students came with either Gunn’s Amnesty International Club or Congregation Beth Am, a local synagogue. Junior Amnesty International club president Mike Lee felt that the experience opened club members’ eyes to the sheer scale of individuals concerned about the issue. “I think it was a good experience that helped to make people more aware of the whole situation,” he said. “[Seeing so many people there] gave a sense of unity.”

The day began with a silent vigil, as participants held hands across the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge, pausing for a moment of silence. The group then walked to Crissy Field via the Coastal Trail to hear governmental officials, activists and Darfurians alike speak about the situation.

Senior Iliana Berkowitz, who attended the rally with her Jewish youth group, pointed to Oakland representative Barbara Lee as the most moving speaker. “She brought this enthusiasm to the table that no other speaker had before her,” Berkowitz said. “She stressed how we can help and how important it is to get involved.”

Sophomore Shani Chabansky, another rally attendant, felt especially ardent about stopping the genocide because of her Jewish heritage. “What I loved was that all the Jewish people who came were even more supportive of the cause because they know how the Darfurians feel and how atrocious genocide is,” Chabansky said.

Six days after the protests, the U.N. signed a peace accord with Darfur rebels. The under funded African Union troops will transfer authority to U.N. peacekeeping troops by the end of September.

Despite the accord, thousands still remain in refugee camps, often without sufficient food. In fact, the U.N. World Food Program has been forced to cut rations in Darfur to 1,000 calories per day, due to lack of funding.