Jewish organizations across Colorado on Monday marked the anniversary of the deadly attack on Israel that killed 1,200 and sparked a war in the Middle East with commemorations, while pro-Palestinian activists took to the streets in Denver.

Gov. Jared Polis — the state’s first Jewish governor — condemned the Hamas attacks last year and noted that hostages remained in captivity, including a baby who was only 9 months when kidnapped and an 86-year-old man. Some 100 people remain captive, Israeli officials said. Many are feared dead.

“It is time to bring them and all those in Hamas captivity home now,” the governor said in a statement that noted how Hamas militants attacked families “in their homes and in their daily lives, shattering the basic right to safety.”

Chabad South Metro Denver, which has campuses in Greenwood Village and Lone Tree, launched an educational venture for Jews and non-Jews called the Colorado Torah Institute, according to Senior Rabbi Avraham Mintz.

The Denver Jewish Community Center hosted an event to honor people affected by the war, as well as offer support services and other activities.

Meanwhile, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in downtown Denver near Union Station before marching and blocking traffic.

Denver police helped block traffic along the path of the protesters.

On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas crossed into southern Israel, killed more than 1,200 people and took roughly 250 hostages. The attack, on a major Jewish holiday, shattered Israelis’ sense of security and left the world facing the prospect of a major conflict in the Middle East.

In response, Israel waged a war against Hamas in Gaza, where the fighting has killed more than 41,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and displaced around 1.9 million.

The conflict has spread in the region, where Israel is also now fighting Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, facing escalating threats from Yemen’s Houthi rebels and contending with a mounting conflict with Iran, which backs Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters marched from the Auraria Campus, the scene of a large protest and an encampment several months ago, to Union Station.

They shouted, “Free Palestine,” a familiar refrain, and repeated calls for divestment from Israel.

One protester shouted, “Today, on Oct. 7, one year of resistance. One year of fighting. One year of live-streamed genocide. One year of protesting and marching and shaking and screaming free Palestine.”

Counter-protesters were also in attendance.

One counter-protester yelled at demonstrators: “You don’t care about freedom.”

“You don’t care about Jews!” the counter-protester said.

Another man on RTD’s light rail was overheard saying, “It’s just kind of sad they’re doing this today.”

Temple Emanuel in Denver, the largest synagogue between Chicago and Los Angeles with a congregation of 6,000 people, planned to hold a commemorative event at its synagogue on Monday evening.

“To say that people are protesting against the state of Israel on this day that is grieving and mourning says a lot about the people who are doing the protesting,” Temple Emanuel Rabbi Joseph Black told The Denver Gazette.

“It’s in the middle of the time between Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement,” he continued. “In many ways, this year has been unlike any other that I can remember because it has been a year filled with trauma, a year filled with grief, a year filled with despair, as we have watched the enemies of the state of Israel launch attacks consistently.”

No protesters were arrested on Monday, according to police.

The parameters for a planned protest differ from those that are spontaneous.

For planned protests, as in the case of the one Monday, law enforcement agencies must be made aware and provided timeframes.

A Denver police spokesperson said Monday’s downtown protest met those parameters.

Police officials said the downtown Denver demonstration was the only one they were aware of Monday.

A police spokesperson told The Denver Gazette that the DPD “is aware of at least one planned demonstration and has additional resources available to respond, if necessary, to address any safety issues.”

In response to protests, Jon Ewing, a spokesperson for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s office, told The Denver Gazette the mayor “respects the right to protest so long as it is done safely and peacefully.”

Other organizations also marked the one-year anniversary of the deadly attack.

“We recognize that this time may bring up a range of emotions and memories for many in our community,” University of Denver officials told students in a statement. “Our priority remains your well-being, and we have various resources available to help you navigate the coming days and weeks.”