By Barrett Holman Leak
SAN DIEGO — On Sunday, we walked despite the fear that some wish would force us to quit. On Sunday, we walked with the flags of the countries of those being held hostage and tortured by the terrorist group Hamas, deep in tunnels in Gaza. Despite our kindred walkers and runners in Boulder, Colorado, being firebombed by an antisemitic terrorist, we walked in San Diego.
Every step we took was a defiant roar against the darkness. We walked, for the moments of agony, of terror, of suffocating despair that the hostages in Gaza’s tunnels are enduring right now.
Last Sunday, in Boulder, Colorado, a man fueled by hate tried to silence a similar message with fire. He threw Molotov cocktails at people participating in “Run 4 Their Lives,” an event designed to do exactly what we did yesterday: shine a light on the human who is being held captive by Hamas. The fear, the anger, the sheer injustice of that firebombing could have paralyzed us. But instead, it ignited something deeper.
It ignited our resolve here in San Diego.
We refuse to be intimidated. We refuse to be silenced. Every single one of us there on Sunday chose to face that fear head-on, to transform our outrage into action. We walked for the mothers and fathers, the sons and daughters, the brothers and sisters whose only crime was existing. We walked for the elderly, the infirm, the children – all stripped of their freedom, their dignity, their very humanity. We walked for all the people from all nations who are being held hostage and tortured by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
With every step, we carried their stories. With every step, we amplified their cries for help. And with every blister, we kept their names and faces before people. This isn’t just a walk; it’s a testament to the unyielding power of hope, a vibrant protest against indifference, and a plea to the world: Bring. Them. Home.
We will not stop until they are home and there is no need to walk anymore. We will not rest. We will walk, we will run, we will be visible witnesses until every last one of them is free. Their lives depend on it. Our humanity demands it.
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Barrett Holman Leak is a freelance writer based in San Diego.