WASHINGTON DC, Sunday, May 19, 2024 (WAFA) – Hundreds of protesters gathered yesterday near the U.S. Capitol, raising their voices in solidarity with Palestine and denouncing the Israeli occupation for the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Hundreds of demonstrators convened on the National Mall to mark the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, or "catastrophe" in Arabic, which commemorates the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.
Chanting pro-Palestinian slogans and carrying placards bearing messages of solidarity, the protesters called for an end to the Israeli onslaught on Gaza and demanded justice for the Palestinian people. Phrases like “No peace on stolen land” and “End the killings, stop the crime/Israel out of Palestine” reverberated through the crowd, echoing their fervent calls for change.
Amidst the chants and speeches, there was palpable anger directed towards President Joe Biden, whom many accuse of enabling the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.
“Biden Biden, you will see/genocide’s your legacy,” echoed through the rain-soaked streets, reflecting the frustration and disappointment felt by many protesters towards the current administration's military aid to Israel.
Reem Lababdi, a George Washington University sophomore who said she was pepper-sprayed by police last week when they broke up an on-campus protest encampment, acknowledged that the rain seemed to hold down the numbers.
"I’m proud of every single person who turned out in this weather to speak their minds and send their message,” she told ABC News.
Speaker Osama Abuirshad, executive director of American Muslims for Palestine, gestured at the Capitol building dome behind him.
“This Congress does not speak for us. This Congress does not represent the will of the people,” he said. “We're paying for the bombs. We're paying for the F-16s and F-35s. And then we do the poor Palestinians a favor and send some food.”
Speakers also expressed anger over the violent crackdown on multiple pro-Palestinian protest camps at universities across the country. In recent weeks, long-term encampments have been broken up by police at more than 60 schools; just under 3,000 protesters have been arrested.
“The students are the conscience of America,” said Abuirshad, who compared the university demonstrations to earlier protest movements against the Vietnam War and apartheid-era South Africa. “That's why the authorities are working so hard to silence them.”
M.N
