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Thousands of protesters began gathering in downtown D.C. Saturday afternoon at a rally calling for a cease-fire in Gaza and a halt to U.S. aid to Israel.
A sea of black, green, red and white flags floated over the crowd in Freedom Plaza, blocks from the White House, as the protesters chanted “Free Palestine” and held picket signs with messages such as “Cease Fire Now” and “End the War in Gaza.” Other signs accused the Israeli government of practicing apartheid and charged President Biden with genocide.
Demonstrators, arriving by the busload and streaming from Metro stations, expressed outrage over the ongoing war and American support for Israel’s bombing campaign that has displaced much of the population and left more than 23,0000 Gazans dead and approximately 60,000 wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The rally, organized by the American Muslim Task Force for Palestine and other groups, is the second in support of Gaza in Washington since the Israel-Gaza war began on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostage. A rally in support of Israel was held in mid-November on the National Mall, where thousands gathered to express their solidarity with Israel, demonstrate their resolve to combat antisemitism, and demand the release of hostages abducted by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack.
As the start of the rally approached, police established a visible presence on nearby blocks, though not at the plaza itself. D.C. police squad cars with their emergency lights flashing lined 17th Street and K Street and blocked service roads, while Park Police officers on bikes also lined up. Numerous snow plow trucks were also parked along major roads in the city, but not because of any expected snow. Police often use the trucks to block intersections to keep traffic and marchers separated, or to redirect marchers away from certain areas.
Mohamad Habehh, director of development for American Muslims for Palestine and lead organizer of Saturday’s event, said organizers picked this weekend to mark nearly 100 days of war and to honor the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.
“We’re past three months of constant killing,” Habehh said. “We feel that it is important for us to come on this holiday weekend in the spirit of MLK when he said that ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,’ that we stand up against the injustice that’s going on in Gaza right now, and stand up against the atrocities that are being supported and being promoted by our government.”
Organizers anticipate that upward of 25,000 people will attend the event, according to a permit issued by the National Park Service late Thursday. The permit also includes portions of Lafayette Square, across from the White House, where protesters are expected to march following the rally. There are buses coming from states across the country, including Florida, Minnesota, Texas and Wisconsin, according to the event website.
Saturday’s protest comes a day after Israel rejected allegations brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice that it is committing genocide in Gaza. Israel said the growing death toll in Gaza was an unavoidable consequence of its battle against a militant army that has embedded itself in civilian areas and seeks to repeat the Oct. 7 attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the charge, saying “Today, again, we saw an upside-down world, in which the State of Israel is accused of genocide at a time when it is fighting genocide.”
Speakers announced for the rally include Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, presidential candidates Cornel West and Jill Stein, Ilyasah Shabazz (daughter of Malcolm X), Colorado state Rep. Iman Jodeh (D), Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin and family members of people killed in Gaza.
This story will be updated.