Massive Washington Demonstration Calls for Immediate Cease Fire in Gaza
Report and photos by Phil Pasquini

Washington: As deaths continue to mount in the ongoing Israeli attack on Gaza and the situation becomes more dire for residents with every passing day, an International Day of Solidarity with Palestine march was held in Washington on November 4 with more than 30,000 people demanding a ceasefire, an end to the siege and an end to US aid for the Zionist occupation.

Israel’s war against the civilian population in Gaza with its indiscriminate bombing of the densely populated strip along with its denial of fuel, food, water and electricity has so far resulted in the deaths of an estimated 9,000 Palestinians most of whom are children. All this in a quest to kill Hamas members interspersed in and among the civilian population. The attack follows a familiar pattern of collective punishment that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu promised Israelis will result in the annihilation of Hamas. A promise that has been made many times before and in which the end result is a less secure Israel and more death and destruction for Palestinians.

Organizers of the march stated that “Israel, with the full backing of the US government, is carrying out an unprecedented massacre in Gaza. Thousands of Palestinians are being killed with bombs, bullets and missiles paid for by US tax dollars. This is the latest bloody chapter in the colonial project of Israel, founded with the objective of dispossessing Palestinians from their land.”

Nihad Awad, Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), one of many speakers, told the crowd their activism was important and that “Part of what we do every day is to defend the rights of American Muslims and pro-Palestine activists. Those activists who have been subjected to hate crimes, Islamophobic attacks, who have been fired from their job, discriminated against, and those whose right to speak has been stifled in schools or university campuses, I tell all of you we hear you and we are with you,” he said. “You are not alone. The people of Gaza, the children of Gaza rely on your voices and on your activism. Do not be scared, do not be intimidated. You are not alone. Contact our organization and seek our help.”

On Friday, Rep Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the only Palestinian-American in Congress, said in a video posted on X, “Mr President, the American people are not with you on this one,” a major sentiment at the march echoed by many who bashed President Biden for contributing to the genocide of Palestinians and carried signs declaring their intent not to vote for him in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

Following the rally at Freedom Plaza, the massive overflowing crowd marched to the White House, filling the streets along the entire route with wall-to-wall protesters who continued to chant calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for an end to military and monetary aid to Israel and an end to the occupation.

In a separate action earlier this week, activists in the San Francisco Bay Area held a “Block the Boat All Hands on Deck” direct action at the Port of Oakland where the military reserve container ship Cape Orlando was attempting to leave port with weapons for Israel. That action resulted in delaying the ship’s departure for nine hours as protesters locked themselves to the vessel before she could depart for the Port of Tacoma, Washington, where she was scheduled to load more weapons. Protesters there promised to again halt the loading through direct action upon her arrival next week.

Organizers have also called for a nationwide shutdown for Gaza on November 9 by calling for people “to take direct action through walks-outs, sit-ins, speak-outs and all forms of protest directed at Zionist institutions which fund, invest and collaborate with Israel’s genocide and occupation of Palestinians.”

(Phil Pasquini is a freelance journalist and photographer. His reports and photographs appear in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs  and Nuze.ink. He is the author of Domes, Arches and Minarets: A  History of Islamic-Inspired Buildings in America.)