(NewsNation) — Art installations in honor of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas are being put up near the United Center where the Democratic National Convention is being held in Chicago.
One of the installations, made by artist Neil Salti, depicts a tree with blood on it and was inspired by the massacre at the Nova Festival on Oct. 7, 2023. Salti told NewsNation that after the event, he felt an urge to go to the venue where the festival had been held.
“It was so quiet, and there was no noise, nothing. Everything was burned,” Salti said. “I thought to myself, I wish these streets could talk and tell the story of what really happened here, and I saw a burned tree with a half rope on it. After that, I realized from the news, they tied women to the trees and raped them and burned them alive. So this is why I decided to create this tree.”
Salti also said that he felt that the large presence of pro-Palestinian protesters at the DNC was “weird.”
“I don’t really understand, because what they did to us is so horrible,” Salti said. “The day after they went to protest, you know, we still didn’t heal or start realizing what is happening, and they start protests the day after they attack us.”
