TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — In the wake of a violent firebomb attack on a group of marchers in Boulder, Colorado, the Tucson community has responded with a show of solidarity, launching its own chapter of Run for Their Lives, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about hostages still held in Gaza.
The Boulder attack occurred on June 1 and left 12 people injured. Authorities charged Mohamed Sabry Soliman with 118 counts, including attempted murder, in what investigators describe as a targeted antisemitic assault.
Despite the violence, members of Boulder’s Run for Their Lives resumed their weekly march just one week later — an act of resilience that inspired action more than 800 miles away.
“In Boulder, this group was back out there a week later — that really inspired me,” said Tony Zinman, lead organizer of the newly formed Tucson chapter. “That kind of courage showed me that we need to be doing something here, too.”
At first, Zinman thought about joining the chapter in Phoenix, but soon wondered why there wasn’t a chapter in Tucson. This idea sparked the group’s genesis.
On Sunday, June 8, Zinman led the chapter’s first march, beginning at the University of Arizona’s Main Gate and ending at Old Main. With only a few days to organize the march and form the group, the turnout was light but mighty.
“We were kind of slapdash getting it together the first week,” Zinman said. “We hope to get more folks and bring continued awareness of the hostages. Ideally, we won’t have to do this anymore if the hostages are freed.”
The group’s mission mirrors that of its national and international counterparts: to call attention to more than 50 hostages still being held in Gaza by Hamas.
“They’ve been held for a year and a half,” said Zinman. “They’re being starved, beaten, raped. The world needs to be aware — it can’t be hidden.”
Among those joining the Tucson march was Rabbi Malcolm Cohen of Kol Ami Synagogue, who emphasized the moral duty to act, even from a distance.
“I’m walking about in the sunshine in Tucson with a pretty great life, so it behooves me and other people to think about folks in the depths of darkness,” Cohen said.
The cause is deeply personal for Cohen. “A British rabbinical colleague of mine is the rabbi in Boulder,” he shared. “Six of his congregants were burned in that attack. Because of the hostages and what happened in Colorado, I just wanted to show support.”
Cohen also stressed the broader implications for peace in the region.
“I would love peace for Israelis and Palestinians,” Cohen said. “That cause would be furthered by the return of the hostages and the international community pressuring Hamas to do exactly that.”
Danny Lapow, a Tucson resident with family ties to Israel’s military history, put it simply: “We have family who are being held in Gaza,” he said. “Bring them home. Today. Not tomorrow. Today.”
The Tucson chapter of Run for Their Lives now plans to meet every Sunday at 8:15 a.m. at the University of Arizona’s Main Gate.
——
Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
