Pro-Palestine graffiti left near White House after thousands gathered for weekend protest
WASHINGTON - Thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators gathered to march through the streets of the nation’s capital Saturday.
The massive protest was organized by the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) Coalition, — an anti-war organizer formed after the 9/11 attacks — along with the support of several other organizations, including the Palestinian Youth Movement and the American Muslim Alliance.
The march began at 2 p.m. on Nov. 4 and according to the ANSWER Coalition, more than 300,000 people attended the rally, which started at Freedom Plaza and ended at the White House.
Remnants of the weekend demonstration could be seen outside the White House Monday morning with red hand prints on the gates and "Free Palestine" spray-painted on a statue.
The march came days after the House passed a bill that would provide $14.3 billion in federal aid dollars to Israel.
The 14-page bill passed by a 226 to 196 vote with 12 Democrats joining Republicans to push the legislation through but it’s unlikely to survive the Democrat-controlled Senate or get the president’s signature.
The legislation would cut into cash that was allocated to the IRS in President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022. The $80 billion set aside for the agency was meant to go toward hiring more agents and conducting more audits.
There have been strong reactions to the proposed aid package as calls for a ceasefire continue and the Biden administration pressures the Israeli government to pause the war.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Friday with senior members of the Israeli leadership, saying that his visit "reaffirmed the United States’ support for Israel’s right to defend itself consistent with international humanitarian law."
But Blinken did say Friday that more needed to be done to protect Palestinians, encouraging what the administration calls "humanitarian pauses." The administration has stopped short of calling for a permanent ceasefire though, saying it would give Hamas time to regroup and possibly plot additional attacks.
But protestors in D.C. and across the country are crying for an immediate ceasefire and an end to all U.S. aid to Israel.
"The U.S. government has blood on its hands. But while the Biden administration speaks in our name he does not represent the views of the majority of people in this country," said Brian Becker, executive director of the ANSWER Coalition.
Right now, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there will be no temporary cease-fire that "doesn’t include a return of our hostages," referring to some 240 people Hamas abducted during its attack.
He says Israel is pressing ahead with its military offensive with "all of its power."
At this time, it’s believed that more than 9,200 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and more than 23,000 injured. In Israel, the death toll has risen to about 1,400 with some 5,400 wounded.