Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Washington, DC, Saturday evening before descending on the White House to chant, “Allahu akbar” and “F–k Joe Biden” as they accused the president of genocide and demanded a ceasefire in the Peninsula. Gaza.
“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a crowd festooned with Palestinian flags and signs cried at the start of the event, which drew attendees from across the country.
The chant – which gained popularity following Hamas’ deadly incursion into southern Israel last month and Israel’s counter-attack on Gaza – is widely considered antisemitic because it implies the annihilation of the State of Israel and its people.
Others chanted, “Long live the Intifada,” an Arabic word used to refer to the Palestinian uprising, specifically the conflict that took place from 1987 and 1993 and from 2000 to about 2005 that left thousands dead.
Unofficial reports estimated 300,000 attended the protest, but DC Police could not confirm, telling The Post it did not estimate the size of the crowd.
A man was arrested for vandalism around 5:30 p.m., according to DC police. It is not clear what he destroyed.
As protesters began marching through the streets of DC, many stopped outside the White House to shout for Biden to call for a cease-fire. It was unclear whether Biden was there.
Around 7:30 p.m., protesters scrawled red paint on the White House gates and chanted: “Allahu akbar,” “F–k Joe Biden,” a Post reporter observed.
Protesters began scrawling red paint on the White House gates around 7:30 p.m. Some protesters chanted “Allahu akbar,” “F–k Joe Biden,” a Post reporter said. Protesters accused President Biden of genocide as they descended on the White House.
DC police have surrounded the White House via helicopter, according to user X.
Tens of thousands of protesters – including rapper Macklemore – could be seen for miles around as their chants filled the streets from around 1pm.
Earlier in the day, an Israel supporter — who was seen walking down the street with the country’s flag over his shoulder — was escorted politely by police, according to poster X.
As the protests began in the capital, more than 1,000 pro-Palestinian protesters blocked traffic in Manhattan’s Herald Square, demanding a ceasefire, before crowds moved east to the United Nations, where the crowd swelled to 2,000, police sources said. told The Post.
There were no incidents or arrests before the crowd dispersed without incident or arrests around 7:30 p.m., the source said.
Other protests around the world also broke out, including in London where at least 11 people were arrested by the Metropolitan Police for various things, including holding signs threatening to set fire to the Houses of Parliament.
In Washington, speakers from several organizations took to the stage to encourage public “righteous anger” in response to the deaths of some 9,000 Palestinians in Gaza since Israeli airstrikes began following the horrific October 7 attack on southern Israel.
Thousands of people attended the rally on Saturday evening.AFP via Getty Images
Many speakers touched on the US role as Israel’s main ally in the ongoing war against Hamas – including the $14.3 billion aid package passed by the House this week.
“Biden, Biden you can’t hide! We charge you with genocide!” shouted an MC into the microphone, drawing cheers from the audience.
Several protesters who claimed to work for the Biden administration and members of Congress joined the protest, holding a sign saying: “Your staff Congress demands a ceasefire” and “Your staff Biden demands a ceasefire.”
A spokeswoman for the US Palestinian Community Network’s Chicago Chapter said Biden had “dehumanized” the Palestinians.
“There is no business as usual because our elected officials support genocide,” he shouted into the microphone.
The protest included chants of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” AFP via Getty Images
“Israel has no right to exist as a racist state.”
The speaker said the Palestinians wanted to build a “secular” society “from the river to the sea” after that.
“Rebellious indeed! Israel can go to hell!” Marte White, who said she was from Community Movement Builders, a nationwide black activist group, shouted during her turn at the microphone.
The Palestinians have the right to fight “by any means necessary…and I mean any means necessary!” White said, possibly referring to Hamas slaughtering and maiming 1,400 Israelis in a matter of hours on Oct. 7.
“Everyone should support the fight against Zionism, and stand with the Palestinian people,” White concluded.
Protesters from across the country descended on Freedom Plaza for the event.AFP via Getty Images
After White’s fiery rhetoric, the MC asked for a moment of silence for the “martyrs” killed in Gaza over the past four weeks.
At that point, a white tarp was spread over some of the crowd in a silent silence for peace.
A moment of silence followed by Dr. Omar Suleiman referred to the Israeli government as “apartheid” when he touched on the violence against Palestinian youth in Gaza, the West Bank, and beyond – including a six-year-old Chicago boy who was stabbed by his landlord.
“Know when [people] saying they ‘stand with Israel,’ they say they ‘stand with genocide,’” he said.
“This has been one of the hardest months of my life – and I am after Oslo [Accords] generation,” said a speaker from the Palestinian Youth Movement, referring to the 1993 pact brokered by the Clinton Administration.
“This is one of the most difficult months in history, for our people.”
Protesters also called for the liberation of Palestine.AFP via Getty Images
“We have a deep conviction that Palestine will be free in our lifetime,” he stressed. “This is 75 years of delayed justice! We demand that everything be stopped [US] aid to the Zionist state of Israel!”
The crowd eventually became so large that one section of the group was asked to move to allow another wave to join in from around the corner.
The Palestinian national anthem was played over loudspeakers from the stage during the movement.
Despite frequent antisemitic tones from speakers, one woman, Ahlam, from Maryland2Palestine, insisted that “true anger is not hate, it’s love.”
“We should be outraged that our money is going to fund this entity,” he said of US and corporate support for Israel’s efforts to defeat Hamas.
Ahlam called for continued boycotts of companies such as Starbucks and McDonald’s that have expressed solidarity with Israel.
“We will not write our names on Starbucks cups while Palestinian children write their names on their arms so that their bodies can be identified after an airstrike!” he is crying.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
