Up to 10,000 people marched in front of the U.S. Capitol. Oct. 18, 2023. | Photo: X/@Bballshoeguide
Washington, October 19 (RHC)-- In Washington, DC, demonstrators in defense of the Palestinian people staged a sit-in protest at the U.S. Capitol demanding a cease-fire in Gaza by Israeli occupation forces.
Hundreds of demonstrators took part in the mass protests. The activists broke away from a larger demonstration on the National Mall and sat on the floor of the House of Representatives office building. They carried banners reading "Cease fire," "Let Gaza live," and "Not in our name," in decrying the support of the U.S. government to Israel. President Joe Biden has pledged unconditional support for Israeli forces in the ongoing attacks on Gaza, which has so far left more than 3,000 Palestinians dead and thousands more injured.
Several protesters who refused the order to leave the building were reportedly arrested. According to the Capitol Police, some 300 people were detained. Security forces forced all protesters to leave the Cannon House and closed the entrances to the government building and the surrounding streets were also fenced off.
Protesters continued to march in the vicinity of Cannon House, and incidents of clashes between protesters and security forces were reported as demonstrators attempted to cross the fence surrounding the government building.
The demonstration was called by Jewish Voice for Peace, which condemns "the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by the Israeli government." According to the group, more than 350 people, including 24 rabbis, participated in the protests and up to 10,000 people marched in front of the U.S. Capitol.
Wednesday marks 12 days of constant Israeli bombardment against Gaza, following an escalation that began on October 7. The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) launched a large-scale attack on irregular Jewish settler settlements around Gaza. The group said it was acting in the face of repeated Israeli aggression against the people of Palestine.
Israel's retaliatory response has left nearly 3,500 dead and more than 12,000 injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
