[News] The largest Palestine protest in U.S. history shut down the streets of D.C.

[Anti-Imperialist News]

mondoweiss.net
<https://mondoweiss.net/2023/11/the-largest-palestine-protest-in-u-s-history-shuts-down-the-streets-of-d-c/>
The largest Palestine protest in U.S. history shut down the streets of D.C.
Michael Arria - November 5, 2023
------------------------------

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands gathered in Washington, D.C., to demand
a ceasefire in Gaza. Organizers estimate 300,000 people attended the rally
and march, easily making the largest demonstration for Palestine in United
States history.

Protesters gathered in Freedom Plaza, where organizers delivered speeches
and led chants in support of Gaza, before marching to The White House. The
event was organized by a coalition of organizations, including the
Palestinian Youth Movement, ANSWER Coalition, American Muslim Alliance, The
People’s Forum, National Students for Justice in Palestine, Al-Awda: The
Palestine Right to Return Coalition, U.S. Palestinian Community Network,
U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and Maryland2Palestine, and endorsed
by over 500 organizations
<https://www.answercoalition.org/national_march_for_palestine_saturday_nov_4>
representing justice movements across the United States. A companion rally
was held on the West Coast in San Francisco and drew an estimated 50,000
people.

“For the past four weeks we have witnessed the horrific slaughter of our
people in Gaza by the Israeli occupation take place with complete support
of the Biden administration. This massacre must end today, and we are here
to ensure that Israel and its partners in genocide are held accountable,”
said Yara Shoufani of the Palestinian Youth Movement.
[image: National March on Washington: Free Palestine, November 4, 2023.
Protestors are in the street carrying banners that read "Palestinian
Feminist Collective" and "Honor the Martyrs of Palestine."]National March
on Washington: Free Palestine, November 4, 2023. (Photo: Laura Albast)

Speakers addressed the capacity crowd for close to three hours before the
march headed toward The White House. Speakers included attorney and
activist Noura Erakat, writer, poet, and *Mondoweiss* Culture Editor
Mohammed El-Kurd, historian, author Vijay Prashad, representatives of the
Palestinian Feminist Collective who were joined by actor Susan Sarandon,
student activists from across the U.S. as well as representatives from
leading Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, Black, Indigenous, and other
co-sponsoring organizations.

“We are united by our commitment to humanity, our absolute refusal to let
Western powers and Israel bury it beneath their depraved pursuit of wealth
and privilege,” Erakat told the crowd.

Breakthrough News ran a complete live telecast of the rally:

“They told me to do my research, that it’s too complex, to be silent,” said
the rapper Macklemore at the rally. “In the last three weeks, I’ve gone
back and I have done some research, I don’t know everything, but I know
enough to know that this is a genocide.”

Israel has carried out an unrelenting siege on Gaza since the October 7
Hamas attack, killing nearly 10,000 Palestinian civilians as of the time of
writing. The majority of deaths have been children.

Many singled out the current administration for supporting Israel’s crimes.
“BIDEN BIDEN YOU CAN’T HIDE, WE CHARGE YOU WITH GENOCIDE,” was one of the
most consistent chants, and multiple speakers alluded to Democratic support
eroding as a result of the situation. A recent poll
<https://www.aaiusa.org/library/arab-americans-special-poll-domestic-implications-of-the-most-recent-outbreak-of-violence-in-palestineisrael>
from the Arab American Institute found support for Biden precipitously
dropping to just 17%, down from 74% in 2020.

“We will not let them tell us that the only refuge we have from right-wing
Republicans are two-faced liberals,” imam and professor Omar Suleiman told
the protesters to great applause. While the crowd was gathered in front of
The White House, a young girl rolled up her protest sign to yell in the
building’s direction: “GENOCIDE JOE, YOU DON’T SCARE ME!”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently met Israeli leaders to urge a
humanitarian pause, but Israel’s bombing campaign has only intensified.
<https://mondoweiss.net/2023/11/operation-al-aqsa-flood-day-29-israel-hits-hospitals-ambulances-and-schools-across-gaza/>
[image: Overhead shot of the National March on Washington: Free Palestine,
November 4, 2023.]National March on Washington: Free Palestine, November 4,
2023. (Photo: Adrian A)

“I’m here because I don’t agree with what the U.S. is doing and the fact
we’re complicit,” Emily, a protester who lived in D.C., told *Mondoweiss*.

“It’s been really amazing to see the movement grow and see how big it’s
becoming. I have been working on Palestine solidarity issues for 15 years
and it’s been energizing to see all the different actions.”

[image: Overhead shot of the National March on Washington: Free Palestine,
with a huge Palestinian flag carried through the crowd. November 4,
2023.]National
March on Washington: Free Palestine, November 4, 2023. (Photo: Adrian A)

Aya, a Palestinian protester who came from Toronto, told *Mondoweiss* that
she believes that the U.S. has the most power to stop the attacks. “I don’t
necessarily think this action will change what Biden does,” she explained.
“But it is good for morale. I think it can inspire people to organize more
in their communities.”
[image: National March on Washington: Free Palestine, November 4, 2023.
(Photo: Laura Albast)][image: NationalMarch-NW-292-1152x2048-1-768x967.jpg]
National March on Washington: Free Palestine, November 4, 2023. (Photo:
Laura Albast)

The D.C. actions come amid widespread protests throughout the country. In
the past week, thousands of activists have demonstrated
<https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/11/03/nation/protesters-at-capitol-call-for-gaza-cease-fire/>
in cities, held sit-ins outside of congressional offices, and shut down
businesses demanding an end to Israel’s indiscriminate bombing campaign.
Multiple protesters called for further protests and for attendees to
support internationally-coordinated day of disruption on November 9
titled “Shut
it Down for Palestine!”.
<https://peoplesforum.org/blog_post/global-shutdown-for-palestine-to-make-israeli-genocide-unsustainable/>

These are the largest anti-war protests
<https://mondoweiss.net/2023/10/we-are-witnessing-the-largest-u-s-anti-war-protests-in-20-years/>
that the country has seen since the Iraq War of 2003, but many activists
point out that the mainstream media has understated their scope. “CNN said
40,000 people showed up,” a young woman checking her phone told *Mondoweiss*
after the march. “Al Jazeera says 100,000,” offered her dad with a chuckle.
------------------------------

*Michael Arria*
Michael Arria is the U.S. correspondent for Mondoweiss. Follow him on
Twitter at @michaelarria <https://twitter.com/michaelarria>.
------------------------------
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20231105/2561b133/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: NationalMarch-NW-292-1152x2048-1-768x967.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 179462 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20231105/2561b133/attachment-0001.jpg>