By World BEYOND War, September 23, 2025
The Madison, Wisc., chapter of World BEYOND War held a 12-mile walk for peace around lake Monona on the International Day of Peace, and also walked in a neighborhood parade, with a big Stop Arming Israel contingent of about 200.
ABC WKOW reported:
A peace walk took place on Sunday in Madison, marking the International Day of Peace and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions’ Global Weekend of Action.
Students from UW–Madison, Madison College, and community members participated.
Activists carried signs with messages including “Stop arming Israel and the rest of the world” and “Stop starving Gaza.”
“I reject the crooked notion that we can derive ‘safety’ from the sound of a bomb falling on someone else’s home,” said Patrick Kennedy, a UW–Madison graduate student.
Donte’ Young a activist commented on the event.
“There is a voice for solidarity here in Madison that says, well, we stand against war. We stand for what’s right. What’s good is good, what’s bad is bad. Like and it’s as simple as that,” said Young.
The event continued after the Willy Street Parade with a War Abolition Walk around Lake Monona. This marks the third year World BEYOND War has participated in the parade.
Organizers called on legislators to support measures such as the Ban the Bombs Act to block weapons transfers to Israel.
Here’s the video.
Channel 3000 reported:
About 20 activists committed their Sunday to making their voices heard, walking roughly 12 miles around Lake Monona to call for an end to the war between Israel and Hamas on the International Day of Peace.
The march, organized by the local chapter of World Beyond War, began and ended on Willy Street as participants sought to raise awareness about what they consider American complicity in the ongoing conflict.
“I think as a society, we continue to be complicit in the genocide that is happening in Gaza,” said Jacob Rodgers, one of the participants.
The activists acknowledged the physical challenge of their 12-mile walk but said it was nothing in comparison to the suffering they believe is occurring in Gaza.
Seth Johnson, a veteran and Jewish participant, said his motivation was deeply personal and tied to how his tax dollars are being used.
“I’m out here because it is my tax dollars that are being sent overseas to, quite frankly, bombing kill children and to support the Israeli genocide in Palestine,” Johnson said. “And as a veteran, as a Jewish person, I believe it is my not only legal responsibility, but also a moral one to do everything I can.”
The war between Israel and Hamas started nearly two years ago following the Oct. 7 attack. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 64,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict. Since Oct. 7, approximately 1,200 people from Israel have died in the war.
Local nonprofits like World Beyond War are calling the war a genocide, with participants expressing trauma over images and videos from the conflict.
“Like, it’s traumatizing to see these images and videos of war that it seems like America is just executive producer of a live genocide,” said April Peterson.
The protesters argued that American military aid should be redirected to domestic priorities rather than foreign conflicts.
“We don’t want our money to be sent overseas for endless wars, whether it’s in Iran or Afghanistan or Gaza,” Johnson said. “We don’t want that because ultimately the money we spend over there is money we can be spending here to feed kids in schools, to help with education, to give everybody healthcare.”
The activists hope their demonstration will pressure local officials and residents to take action against what they see as misuse of taxpayer funds.
“Continue to press Madisonians to do more and hold our elected officials accountable and to making sure that our money and tax dollars are not sending bombs to Palestinians,” Rodgers said.
Despite the controversial nature of their message, participants reported seeing public support during their walk.
“When we’re walking in the parade and we’re seeing the support and we’re seeing all the people that are coming out, I think the public is united on this,” Johnson said.
The International Day of Peace, observed annually on Sept. 21, was established by the United Nations to promote peace and ceasefire efforts worldwide. The Madison demonstration represents one of many grassroots efforts across the country calling for changes to U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
Here’s the video.
And here’s a report from The Daily Cardinal:
Anti-war group calls for end to Israeli war funding during Willy St. Parade
World Beyond War activists marched down Willy St. on Sunday calling for peace and divestment from Israel’s War in Gaza
Anti-war group World Beyond War marched down Willy St. calling for the divestment and disarmament of Israel as a part of the Willy St. Parade on Sept 21.
Amidst groups of dancers and floats calling for ecological harmony, a group of nearly 200 protesters marched to an audience of over 1,000 during the annual Willy St. Fair. Splitting off into a dedicated group of 26 members, protestors walked around Lake Mendota to spread their message of peace.
Janet Parker, who leads World BEYOND War’s Madison chapter, said the group’s main goal was to “abolish war” and push the University of Wisconsin System to “divest from all weapons manufacturing.”
The group’s march was part of a global movement created by World BEYOND War, an international organization with chapters campaigning against issues like war profiteering, police militarization and starvation.
“We think that the enemy is not the other side,” Parker said. “The enemy is war. We think that all war should be abolished.”
While the organization advocates on a variety of global conflicts, the march on Willy St. was primarily concerned with Israel’s war in Gaza.
“People tend to look away and say ‘It’s too far away, I’m not responsible for that,’ and yet it’s our tax dollars that have enabled Israel to conduct this war,” Jewish Voice for Peace member Sharon Lesberg said. “So we’re marching today to keep the pressure up and to keep people’s attention on the U.S. involvement in this issue.”
Many protesters expressed concern over UW-Madison’s involvement in the arming of Israel, with skepticism over the university’s spending and sources of funding.
The UW System has investments in a BlackRock index fund with some ties to weapons manufacturing. In the past, the University has also hosted weapons manufacturing companies linked to Israel at career fairs.
“We shouldn’t be sending our money to help Israel commit a genocide when we don’t have enough money to fund our own research and our own facilities,” UW-Madison student Clayton Green said.
UW-Madison student Ash, who was upset about weapons manufacturers on campus, said the push for change must begin locally. “Divestment at a local level” is key, Ash said.
Some protestors also criticized UW-Madison’s free speech policies, arguing they limit opportunities for activism.
“It’s been difficult to have spaces where people can do this [on campus],” Nick Jacobson, UW-Madison faculty member said. “So I’m just hoping that there’s a willingness to allow for a space for people to demonstrate and make their opinions known.”
Spectators largely welcomed the protestors’ presence in the parade, with parade-goers cheering, honking or otherwise making noise in solidarity.
Ph.D. student Carla Rattunde was excited to be involved in the parade, calling it a “celebration of being active together.”
“Having the community get to see our faces and join in the chants is a wonderful way to connect with other people,” Rattunde said. “Getting to transform those confused, raged, fearful emotions into something greater.”
