Thousands of protesters, many wrapped in Palestinian flags, rallied outside the White House on Saturday to call for peace and an end to the fighting in Gaza.
The crowd, comprised of young and old protesters from across the US, including scores of children on parents’ shoulders, chanted: “End US Aid to Israel” and “Israel out of Palestine.”
Many wore headscarves or traditional Palestinian keffiyeh scarves.
Photo: EPA
“Gaza will not die — it will never die,” Amar Jamal said as he marched through downtown Washington with his family surrounded by a sea of red, black, white and green, the colors of the Palestinian flag.
“It is the time to make peace because this bloodbath will not stop in Gaza. All the Middle East will be in trouble” if the conflict does not end, the Palestine-born 70-year-old said.
Many of the protesters voiced anger at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for vowing to keep up his military campaign against Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas for as long and as forcefully as necesary.
Photo: AFP
One protester at Saturday’s rally waved a banner that read: “Netanyahu and Hitler are the same, the only difference is the name,” while other demonstrators demanded that Washington end its military backing of Jerusalem and take its ally to task over a conflict that has already killed more than 1,700 Palestinians and 66 Israelis, all but two of whom were soldiers.
Holding her young son, who was wearing a “Jesus is Palestinian” T-shirt, Shereen Abdel-Nabi said the “US should stop military aid to Israel and use stronger words in condemning its action.”
“I really think this is a turning point ... it’s an issue of humanity. The US government is proving to be on the wrong side of history on this one,” the 34-year-old added.
Sam Khalaf, a Palestinian-American from Maryland, felt the need to march to show “solidarity” for his relatives in the West Bank and Gaza.
“Marching is the least we can do when people are dying,” the 33-year-old said.
Also demonstrating were Waleh Kanan and Jasmine Abuhummos, two friends both aged 15, who traveled for hours overnight from Toledo, Ohio, to participate in the march.
“A lot of people are ignorant about what is going on. So we hope this will help get more of the truth out,” Kanan said.
CNN reported that a small group of Orthodox Jews held a counter-demonstration that led to a minor scuffle.
A woman who identified herself as Mary was held back by police as she yelled: “Stop supporting terror” and brandished an Israeli flag poster toward pro-Palestinian protesters.
Organizers claimed that as many as 50,000 people participated in the pro-Palestinian afternoon rally. Police did not immediately respond to requests for official estimates.
Alli McCracken, national coordinator of anti-war group CODEPINK, a cosponsor of the event, said spirits were high “even though there’s a massacre going on.”
Protests were also held in other US cities, including in Los Angeles, where demonstrators lay down on the ground in front of the Israeli consulate.
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