Topline
A protest sponsored by a Jewish American group calling for a ceasefire in Gaza led to multiple arrests Wednesday after hundreds of demonstrators entered the rotunda of the Cannon House office building on Capitol Hill despite warnings from police.
Demonstrators sit inside the Canon House office building calling on Congress for an immediate … [+]
Key Facts
The protest—at which people called on President Joe Biden to “use his leverage to implement a ceasefire and use any possible tool to force Israel to halt its war on Palestinians in Gaza”—was sponsored by Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, two Jewish American groups advocating for Palestinians.
A Capitol Police spokesperson told Forbes that officers put up additional bike racks and had extra officers on site in preparation for the rally, which was held to support a ceasefire in Palestinian territories.
Just before 3 p.m., the Capitol Police posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that protesters were demonstrating “inside the Cannon Rotunda,” adding, “demonstrations are not allowed inside Congressional Buildings.”
The protest led police to restrict “all pedestrian entry points” to House office buildings to House members and staff only, according to an email from the House Sergeant-at-arms, and led to “rolling road closures,” according to Capitol Police.
A Capitol Police spokesperson could not provide Forbes with a number of arrests or injuries tied to the protest as of 4 p.m. because arrests were still being made and there was still a group in the Rotunda; however, Capitol Police tweeted there had been at least three arrests for “assault on a police officer during processing.”
Big Number
350. That’s how many people—including two dozen rabbis—were at a sit-in at the Cannon House building, according to a tweet from Jewish Voice for Peace. The organization said the protestors wouldn’t leave “until Congress calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.” Jewish Voice for Peace calls itself the “largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world,” and the group also claims to be the only “major Jewish group” in support of the “Palestinian civil society call for boycott, divestment and sanctions.”
Chief Critic
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.)—who repeatedly downplayed the January 2021 storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters—called Wednesday’s protest “an insurrection,” showing footage of the inside and outside of the House building. She also tweeted earlier Wednesday that Capitol Police had “Intel that members of congress will be targeted” and that they were told to “stay inside and only use the underground tunnels.”
Key Background
The demonstration occurred in Washington, D.C., almost two weeks after Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing more than 1,400 Israelis. Since then, more than 3,000 Palestinians have been killed and thousands more injured after Israel declared war on Hamas, a Gaza-based militant group. Israel has cut off fuel, water and other utilities it previously supplied to Gaza, leaving civilians without resources as attacks continued—though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced earlier Wednesday he would allow aid from Egypt to be delivered to Gaza provided none reached Hamas. Jewish Voice for Peace—a group of “Jewish leftists” that organized the protest—is conducting “a week of actions” in D.C. to oppose what it says will lead to “genocide” in Palestinian terrorities and call for an immediate ceasefire.
Further Reading
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/10/18/protesters-of-israel-hamas-war-enter-congressional-building—leading-to-arrests/