Washington DC – The rotunda of an office building in the United States Capitol complex filled within minutes with hundreds of people who appeared out of nowhere as part of a surprise protest against Israel’s war in Gaza.
“Let Gaza live,” they shouted in unison inside the Cannon House office building, stripping off their outer clothing to reveal matching red t-shirts.
One side of the shirt read: “Jews say stop arming Israel.” The other side: “Not in our name.”
Tuesday’s coordinated protest, led by Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), surprised congressional staffers and law enforcement officials as it came together within minutes.
But the crackdown began almost immediately after the protesters gathered. Capitol Police quickly declared the area a closed “zone” and arrested hundreds of protesters who refused to leave.
“This is a moment in history when we have to say that we defend Palestinian freedom. We rise up to end this genocide,” said protester Liv Kunins-Berkowitz.
“For many of us, we are the descendants who survived ethnic cleansing and genocide. Our ancestors and grandparents taught us that the worst thing to do in these moments is to be a spectator.”
Kunins-Berkowitz added that the protest is part of a tradition of peaceful civil disobedience. “This is what we have to do when our government refuses to listen to the people,” she told Al Jazeera.
The demonstration at the Capitol comes a day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to deliver a speech to Congress at the invitation of top lawmakers from both main parties.
Netanyahu’s government has overseen more than nine months of death and devastation in Gaza, with experts and rights advocates warning of “genocide” in the Palestinian territory.
Since the start of the war, the Israeli offensive has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children.
However, the US government remained uncompromising in its support for Israel.
President Joe Biden’s administration has authorized more than $14 billion in military aid to Israel, while maintaining a steady flow of weapons and bombs.
Additionally, the US vetoed three United Nations Security Council resolutions that would have called for a ceasefire.
Biden called for an end to the war in May as part of a deal that would lead to the release of Israeli prisoners in Gaza, but has continued to support Israel as the country’s leaders pledge to continue fighting until “total victory.” .
Abby Stein, rabbi and activist, said that while US authorities pay lip service to the ceasefire, protesters are calling for a real end to the war and an arms embargo against Israel.
“I know that none of us will be safe as long as the US sends billions of dollars worth of weapons to Israel,” Stein told Al Jazeera.
“This is one of the worst atrocities we see happening before our eyes. We are here today to ensure we do everything we can to stop this.”
Progressive Jewish groups have organized protests across the country, including a similar demonstration at the Capitol in October last year, as well as rallies on highways, inside train stations and at political offices.
Asked whether such direct action is effective, Stein was unequivocal: “Yes.”
She argued that the protests raise awareness about the situation in Gaza and give exposure to protesters’ demands.
“I think it definitely helps,” Stein added. “The action that took place in October is a good example. This really put us in the media to show that there are tens of thousands of Jews who are opposed to what the Israeli government is doing.”
Activist Tal Frieden said that, as the grandson of Holocaust survivors, he grew up hearing stories about the importance of ensuring that genocide does not happen again. “I am here today to demand that the US stop sending weapons to Israel,” he told Al Jazeera.
At Tuesday’s protest, protesters stood their ground and refused to leave while their fellow activists were arrested.
Law enforcement agents moved quickly and dropped banners condemning the “genocide” in Gaza.
Then, they began to arrest people from the outskirts, reducing the circle of activists, as if they were peeling it layer by layer.
For more than an hour, agents continuously detained the activists and took them to an elevator away from the rotunda and to the underground corridors of Congress.
Many tied-up protesters continued to shout “Stop arming Israel” and “Free, free Palestine” as they were led away. But the screams grew fainter as the last protesters were eliminated.
“We are arresting a group that is demonstrating illegally inside Rotunda dos Canhão. Demonstrations are not permitted inside Congressional buildings,” the Capitol Police said in a statement.
“We told people who entered legally to stop or they would be arrested. They didn’t stop, so we’re arresting them.”
A JVP organizer told Al Jazeera that the group has been informed that the protesters “are being processed and released on their own recognizance with a postage and forfeiture”, suggesting that they will not face charges.
The JVP said 400 people were arrested, but Capitol Police did not release official numbers.
“For nine months, we have watched in horror as the Israeli government carried out genocide, armed and financed by the US Congress, and the Biden administration has the power to end this horror today,” said JVP Executive Director Stefanie Fox, in a statement. declaration.
“Instead, our president is preparing to meet with Netanyahu and the Congressional leadership has honored him with an invitation to speak to Congress. That’s enough. Biden and Congress must listen to the people: we need an arms embargo now to save lives.”
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
