As many as 300 protesters were arrested during a Wednesday protest on Capitol Hill in Washington, where they called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The demonstration, which coincided with US President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel, aimed to draw attention to the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Inside the Cannon Office Building, a substantial crowd chanted “Ceasefire Now” and urged Congress to intervene and demand an end to the ongoing conflict in Israel, American news network Fox reported. The group of protestors led by leading “Jewish Voice for Peace,” reported that some of its members were arrested within the U.S. Capitol building. The group expressed its strong condemnation of the Israeli government’s actions and accused the Washington of being complicit in these actions.
Hundreds of primarily Jewish protesters are currently in the Capitol’s Cannon building staging a sit-in protest, calling on Biden and Congress to push for a ceasefire in Gaza.They’re slowly being arrested. pic.twitter.com/mGLELwRj6p
— Jack Jenkins (@jackmjenkins) October 18, 2023
The US House Sergeant at Arms cited the demonstration as the reason for restricting access to certain areas. Due to “First Amendment activities on Capitol Grounds,” pedestrian entry points to the House Office Buildings were limited to Members and Staff ONLY, according to a statement from the House Sergeant at Arms. The US Capitol Police took action to make arrests after protesters refused to discontinue their demonstration within congressional buildings.
This protest follows Biden’s wartime visit to Israel on Wednesday that produced a deal to get limited humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt, and a plea for Israelis not to allow rage over the deadly Hamas attack to consume them. He urged Israel to step back from the brink, not just to ease growing tensions in the Mideast that threaten to spiral into a broader regional conflict.
(With agency inputs)