Sajida Samarah leads a chant during a protest organized by Little Rock Peace for Palestine outside the Governor's Mansion in Little Rock on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler) Let us read it for you. Listen now. Your browser does not support the audio element.
A pro-Palestinian protest outside the Governor's Mansion on Saturday drew about 100 people and was briefly marred by violence when fights broke out between a protester and a man accused of being a counterprotester.
The demonstration, organized by Little Rock Peace for Palestine, was meant to "welcome" Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders back to Arkansas after her trip to Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Stephanie Gray, organizer and cofounder of Little Rock Peace for Palestine, said both countries Sanders visited "are currently waging wars and using weapons that are made here in Arkansas to be able to kill innocent people in Palestine as well as Sudan."
"Governor Sanders should be staying here in Arkansas and focusing on Arkansas matters and not be making these deals with war criminals," said Gray, who uses they/them pronouns. "We rank among the lowest in education, health care, we rank the highest in child poverty."
During the protest, one man was seen recording video of and photographing the protest, which drew objections from others who accused him of being a counterprotester.
One protester splashed water on the man's face and pushed him causing him to fall into the street.
The Rev. Jeff Hood, a priest affiliated with the Old Catholic Churches International Inc., said another altercation between the same two individuals broke out down the street a short time later, with the supposed counterprotester on the ground and the other person kicking him in the face.
"It's devastating to me that a peaceful protest was interrupted by this counterprotester and that led to violence," Hood said. "It is my prayer that violence in Gaza will cease and that violence in Little Rock will cease."
Gray said the protesters were protesting Sanders using taxpayer dollars to go to Israel and UAE.
"Our taxpayer dollars should go in bringing ethical investments back into Arkansas, investing in our health care, in our schools, and other trade and manufacturing that benefits Arkansas and brings in great jobs for all of Arkansans," Gray said.
Gray said they are a Jewish Arkansan, and that "Gov. Sanders does not speak on behalf of Jews."
Rhone Kuta, 19, was at the protest because he "believes that what Israel is doing right now is the greatest human rights crisis of our century."
"It is corrupting the fabric of our democracy and it is costing endless human lives," he said. "We need to hold our elected officials more accountable. We need politicians who deeply care about our people and deeply care about the issues."
Sanders spokesman Sam Dubke has said the cost of Sanders' trips for economic development are covered by the Arkansas Economic Development Foundation, the Department of Commerce and the governor's office.
He declined to comment on Saturday's protest.
Little Rock police spokesman Mark Edwards referred questions about the altercation at the protest to the Arkansas State Capitol Police Department. A person who answered the phone at the Capitol Police Department said he did not have any information.
Arkansas State Police spokeswoman Cindy Murphy said the altercation would be a Little Rock police matter.