Thousands of protesters gather in DC to call for a cease-fire in Gaza.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters came together Saturday to call for a cease-fire and an end to the siege on the Gaza Strip at a march in Washington, D.C.’s Freedom Plaza. The protest was organized by nine groups and has participation from over 500 groups from around the country, according to organizers.
Photos of the peaceful march, which called for a cease-fire and the end to the Israeli government’s siege on Gaza, that started in retaliation of Hamas’ surprise terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, show thousands gathered in the streets of D.C. Following a rally, the protesters marched to the White House.
“Israel, with the full backing of the U.S. government, is carrying out an unprecedented massacre in Gaza. Thousands of Palestinians are being killed with bombs, bullets and missiles paid for by U.S. tax dollars,” A.N.S.W.E.R., a group called Act Now to Stop War and End Racism which is one of the groups organizing the protest, wrote on its website.
According to A.N.S.W.E.R., 300,000 people showed up to the protest.
U.S. officials have resisted calling for a general cease-fire, but have urged humanitarian “pauses” to allow civilians to exit Gaza and for aid to flow in.
Other groups leading the organization of the protest were Palestinian Youth Movement, American Muslim Alliance, The People’s Forum, National Students for Justice in Palestine, Al-Awda: The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR), Maryland2Palestine.
MORE: Israel-Gaza live updates: Fatalities reported from strikes on Gaza ambulances.The groups arranged transportation from 22 states, including Texas, Florida and Kentucky, and Puerto Rico.
Nearly 9,500 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, since Israel began a bombing and ground campaign in the Gaza Strip after the Hamas attack killed more than 1,400 Israelis, according to Israeli officials.
Doctors Without Borders, which has physicians providing care on the ground in Gaza, called on Saturday for a cease-fire.
“This is a new low in an endless stream of unconscionable violence. The repeated strikes on hospitals, ambulances, densely populated areas and refugee camps are disgraceful. How many people have to die before world leaders wake up and call for a cease-fire?” the group said in a Tweet.
“Gaza is being bombed by the hour. Its people are denied food, water and electricity by Israel. Tens of thousands more people are likely to die. We must ACT!” the group organizing the protest wrote on its website.
Numerous speakers took the stage speaking to a massive crowd, chanting, “Free, free Palestine.”
“We formed this coalition, a small group of organizations, 15 days ago and if you walk around here now we can see that in two weeks time there has come together the largest demonstration in U.S. history to support the Palestinian people,” said Brian Becker, the national coordinator of the A.N.S.W.E.R. coalition, a group of anti-war and civil rights organizations.
“We send a strong message to Joe Biden. If you stand with genocide, then we charge you with genocide,” Becker said.
President Biden is facing vocal opposition from a small group in the progressive wing of his own party on what they suggest is his bias toward Israel and against Palestinians following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Biden said on Oct. 25 that the lives on both sides are precious.
“Israelis and Palestinians equally deserve to live side by side in safety, dignity, and peace,” the president said during a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Nehad Awad, the executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, took the stage at Saturday’s protest to encourage people to speak out in support of Palestinians and called on President Biden to call for a cease-fire.
