As the Israel-Palestine conflict continues, protests for a ceasefire are increasing in the United States and are making its way to the White House.
After the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel and Palestine have been at arms. Although there was a temporary cease-fire from Nov. 24 – 30 where 102 Israelis and 210 Palestinians were set free, the fighting resumed after an alleged Hamas attack.
ABC has reported that as of Jan. 10, Gaza has lost 1% of their population with 23,357 lives lost. More than 10,000 of the casualties were children and 7,000 are still under rubble and debris.
It’s important to note that these casualty numbers coming from each respective country are given by either the Prime Minister of Israel or from the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is run by Hamas, making this conflict difficult to navigate through.
As for the displaced people of Gaza, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a UN agency that helps refugees, is aiding them. According to UNRWA, there are 1.9 million displaced people, making up 85% of the population of Gaza. While they are being sheltered in 155 UNRWA facilities, supplies and goods are running low
While war rages on, protests for a cease-fire have spread throughout the U.S. Rallies and demonstrations, both small and large, have been hosted in major cities and have followed President Joe Biden.
Three prominent protests took place Nov. 15 and Nov. 16, 2023.
Nov. 15 at Capitol Hill, protesters gathered outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters. U.S. Capitol Police reported that protesters were trying to illegally enter the HQ while protesters claimed that some police were showing unnecessary force.
Once tensions started rising and became physical, Metropolitan Police arrived at the scene. Six Capitol Police officers had minor injuries while one protester was arrested.
On Nov. 16, 200 protesters blocked the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge during their demonstration. 80 protesters were arrested and 29 vehicles were towed. On the same day in Boston, 100 protesters blocked a bridge chanting for an immediate ceasefire.
The most recent actions of protest took place on Jan. 8.
In New York, more than 1,000 protesters blocked traffic on the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges and the Holland Tunnel. 320 protesters were arrested. Then at AME Church in Charleston, S.C., President Biden’s campaign speech was interrupted by protesters.
This isn’t the first time that POTUS has faced pushback from protesters. From November to December in states like Pennsylvania to California, chants of “cease-fire now” have followed his campaign trail.
Although President Biden said he was “quietly working” with Israel to leave Gaza, the U.S. vetoing the United Nations’ resolution for a humanitarian cease-fire in early December casts doubt over his claim and put the country in a bad light.