Hundreds of American Jews gathered in Washington, D.C., outside the Congress and inside the building’s halls to demand an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. Today’s action is part of a week of actions by Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, Jewish-led organizations that have chosen to channel their grief over Hamas’s massacre of Israeli civilians into calls to stop what many are calling a genocide attempt against Palestinians.
The Associated Press has the story:
Hundreds of US Jews protest outside & inside Congress, demand ceasefire in Gaza
Newslooks- Washington (AP)
Hundreds of American Jews gathered in Washington, D.C., outside the Congress and inside the building’s halls to demand an immediate cease-fire. Today’s action is part of a week of actions by Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, Jewish-led organizations that have chosen to channel their grief over Hamas’s massacre of Israeli civilians into calls to stop what many are calling a genocide attempt against Palestinians.
The Jewish Voice for Peace, which says it is an organization of “Jews organizing toward Palestinian liberation and Judaism beyond Zionism,” said over a dozen rabbis were part of the protest.
The Jewish-led protest involved hundreds more protesting outside the Capitol, as well as about two dozen rabbis leading a prayer inside the halls of Congress.
“Ceasefire is the first step to stop the ongoing genocide by the Israeli military of the over 2 million Palestinians in besieged Gaza, unable to leave,” said a post from the Jewish Voice for Peace on X.
The public’s access to the U.S. Capitol complex was restricted on Wednesday after a sizable demonstration calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas disrupted one of the House office buildings.
The House sergeant-at-arms said out a memo to congressional offices that all visitors would be restricted to a single door in an attempt to control public entry into the campus.
Several barriers of bike-rack fencing were erected around the Capitol on Tuesday night in anticipation of the protest.
Those Hundreds of protestors affiliated with anti-Israel groups If Not Now and Jewish Voice for Peace gathered both inside and outside the Cannon House Office building on Wednesday afternoon to call for a ceasefire.
Scores of demonstrators inside the building chanting “ceasefire now” were arrested by the Capitol Police throughout the afternoon.
The Capitol Police also announced they were shutting down roads around the Capitol to ensure the safety of protestors outside.
Activists inside the Capitol rotunda brought signs emblazoned with such slogans as “Jews say ceasefire now” and “Mourn the dead, and fight like hell for the living.” Those gathered frequently broke out into chants, proclaiming, “Not in our name.” “Demonstrations are not allowed inside Congressional Buildings,” the Capitol Police said of the arrests in a post on X.
Capitol Police arrested the protesters, citing rules forbidding demonstrations inside congressional buildings. Jewish Voice for Peace estimated that 500 protesters were arrested, including the rabbis. “We warned the protestors to stop demonstrating and when they did not comply we began arresting them.”
Wednesday’s protest action, which kicked off at noon local time, was organized by a coalition of groups, including Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow.
“Our movement will stop the genocide,” read one post from IfNotNow on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Our movement will end apartheid. Our movement will win freedom, equality, and safety for all.”
Outside the Capitol, several Jewish leaders, as well as Representatives Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib, gave speeches demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. Representative Ayanna Pressley also later expressed solidarity with the protesters. All three progressives are part of a small coalition of House Democrats who have introduced a congressional resolution demanding “an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Israel and occupied Palestine.”
Dozens of Jewish activists were also arrested during a protest outside the White House on Monday. IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace, which organized that protest as well, demanded that President Joe Biden force a ceasefire.
