Hundreds of protesters rallying within sight of the Capitol chanted pro-Palestinian slogans and voiced criticism of the Israeli and American governments as they marked a painful present — the war in Gaza — and past — the exodus of some 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were forced from was created in 1948.
Quick Read
- Event and Attendance: Demonstrators gathered to protest under steady rain on the 76th anniversary of the Nakba.
- Calls for Action: The protesters voiced their demands for Palestinian rights and an immediate cessation of Israeli military operations in Gaza. They also criticized the U.S. government’s stance on the conflict.
- Expressions of Frustration: Chants like “No peace on stolen land” and critical remarks against President Joe Biden, such as “Biden Biden, you will see/genocide’s your legacy,” highlighted the protesters’ discontent.
- Impact of Weather on Participation: The inclement weather impacted attendance, but participants remained committed to expressing their views.
- Context of the Protest: This rally also responded to recent actions against pro-Palestinian protests at U.S. universities and the ongoing conflict initiated by Hamas on October 7, which has resulted in significant casualties on both sides.
The associated Press has the story:
Pro-Palestinian protesters rally in Washington to mark a painful present and past
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —
Hundreds of protesters rallying within sight of the Capitol chanted pro-Palestinian slogans and voiced criticism of the Israeli and American governments as they marked a painful present — the war in Gaza — and past — the exodus of some 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were forced from what is now Israel when the state was created in 1948.
Demonstrators braved steady rains to rally on the National Mall on the 76th anniversary of what is called the Nakba, the Arabic word for catastrophe. In January, thousands of pro-Palestinian activists had gathered in the nation’s capital in one of the larger protests in recent memory.
There were calls in support of Palestinian rights and an immediate end to Israeli military operations in Gaza. “No peace on stolen land” and “End the killings, stop the crime/Israel out of Palestine,” echoed through the crowd.
Protesters also focused their anger on President Joe Biden, whom they accuse of feigning concern over the death toll in Gaza.
“Biden Biden, you will see/genocide’s your legacy,” they said. The Democratic president was in Atlanta on Saturday.
Reem Lababdi, a George Washington University sophomore who said she was pepper-sprayed by police last week when they broke up an on-campus protest encampment, acknowledged that the rain seemed to hold down the numbers.
“I’m proud of every single person who turned out in this weather to speak their minds and send their message,” she said.
This year’s commemoration was fueled by anger over the ongoing siege of Gaza. The latest Israel-Hamas war began when Hamas and other militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking an additional 250 hostage. Palestinian militants still hold about 100 captives, and Israel’s military has killed more than 35,000 people in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
There is widespread anger, too, over the violent crackdown on multiple pro-Palestinian protest camps at universities across the country. In recent weeks, long-term encampments have been broken up by police at more than 60 schools.
In addition to pressing Israel and the Biden administration for an immediate end to hostilities in Gaza, activists have long pushed for the right of return for Palestinian refugees — an Israeli red line in decades of start-and-stop negotiations.
After the Arab-Israeli war that followed Israel’s establishment, Israel refused to allow them to return because it would have resulted in a Palestinian majority within Israel’s borders. Instead, they became a seemingly permanent refugee community that now numbers some 6 million, with most living in slum-like urban refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In Gaza, the refugees and their descendants make up around three-quarters of the population.
