A substantial crowd of nearly 30,000 pro-Palestinian protesters converged outside the White House on Saturday, marking eight months since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war.
The demonstrators, including members of the Answer Coalition, an activist group participating in the event, called for an immediate cease-fire, an end to the siege on Gaza, the release of all Palestinian prisoners, and the termination of the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
The Answer Coalition unveiled a striking “two-mile long” red banner, symbolizing the “red line” they claim President Joe Biden allowed Israel to cross during its invasion of Rafah. The banner, according to the group’s post on X, bears the names of more than 40,000 Palestinians who have lost their lives since the conflict began on October 7.
Social media posts captured footage of protesters igniting smoke bomb flares and tossing them onto the White House lawn, while the Andrew Jackson statue outside the Executive Mansion was vandalized with the phrases “Free Gaza” and “Boycott Israel Products.” In anticipation of the demonstration, authorities erected additional fencing around the White House as a second line of defense.
Critics of the Biden administration and other supporters of Israel have been vocal in their opposition to the war, demanding its immediate cessation. As the conflict continues to claim lives and fuel tensions in the region, the pro-Palestinian movement shows no signs of abating, with the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago also expected to draw a significant number of protesters.
